


Fairy Penalty Game

by Musicera



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Adventure, Drama, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Lemon, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-31
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-04-16 01:27:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 37
Words: 124,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14153694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Musicera/pseuds/Musicera
Summary: Gajeel's been chasing Levy all over Magnolia after she ran away from his performance during the Penalty Game. When he finally catches up to her, Levy finds herself not herself. The Iron Dragonslayer seems to be the one problem that the brains of Fairy Tail can't figure out.





	1. Fairy on the Run

 

"Wait!" I could hear his footsteps drawing closer; he was right behind me now. I'd been running from him since this afternoon's performance, but he was persistent. I'd never been able to hide myself for more than a minute or two at a time—just enough to catch my breath really. That stupid nose of his would always find me. And as soon as it did, then it was back to running in these stupid heels.

The whole situation wasn't fair. " _I still don't understand how I even got roped into dancing up on stage with Lucy. She must have begged me. Apparently no one can say no to a blonde with big tits—not even straight girls like me."_ I chuckled to myself.

I ran down the stone steps as quick as I could. _"If only there was some way to throw off that nose of his."_ I worried my lower lip, looking at the canal. _"I've read enough fantasy novels to know that water messes with tracking dogs. Maybe I should throw myself into the canal! "_ I think it was at that moment I realized I had lost it.

_"So much for being the smart one at the guild. Maybe I can learn to fight. That way I wouldn't need a brain. Natsu makes it work somehow…"_

Who was I kidding? I couldn't swim through the canal! I could barely stand as it was. I braced my arms on my knees, trying desperately to catch my breath. White flashed in front of my eyes followed by the sound of heavy boots hitting the cobblestones.

"How long are you going to follow me?" I nearly shouted through labored breaths.

"And you? How long are you going to keep running?" He looked straight at me, with those piercing eyes of his. I'll admit, his white suit was a little garish, but he pulled it off somehow. His red tie matched the color of his crimson eyes and his wide brimmed hat made the shadows dance off his harshly angled face. I couldn't hold his gaze and so I turned, trying to look anywhere but into his eyes.

"It's that…you…" I trailed off. I didn't really know how to answer his question. Why was I running from him? Was it really because Lucy had bigger tits than me? That didn't make sense; it's not like I hadn't figured that one out already. I was the brains of Fairy Tail, after all. It was more than that—more than being merely self-conscious. It had something to do with Gajeel, but I didn't know how to express what I was feeling. So I just brushed it off. "Don't you think I look strange in this costume?"

My shoulders tensed as I waited for his answer. What would I do if he said yes? _"This is ridiculous! I shouldn't even care!"_ I reasoned with myself.

"Huh?" I heard him lean back against the stone steps. "It's me. I'm not interested in the costume on others." He said it so matter-of-fact. Like it was a universal truth. I couldn't understand it. _"What does he mean, he's not interested in the costume on others?"_ My emotions were spinning out of control. I just couldn't wrap my head around what he said and how he said it. And that just pissed me the hell off. I was always able to understand things. I might not be the best fighter, but I was smart. I always got the right answer. So why couldn't I figure out Gajeel?

I had to know what he was thinking. I had to figure him out. I turned on the spot and yelled, "Why not?"

But before he could answer, the jeers of drunken men filled the air. "Let us see!" One yelled. "Too many clothes!" Another. "Come back, beautiful!"

I was shocked. Few men, Jet and Droy excluded, had ever shown much interest in me.

_"I don't understand why no one ever asks me out." I huffed, taking a seat at the bar. Cana was in her usual state—chugging from an overly large barrel while sitting cross-legged on the counter._

_"You're what you call 'unapproachable,'" Cana slurred as she put her barrel down and wiped her mouth with the back of her wrist._

_"I am not!" I vehemently replied. "That's so mean, Cana. How could you say such a thing?" I curled in on myself a little. I never thought it was my fault. Leave it to Cana to just lay it all on the line, feelings be damned._

_"I'm not saying it's a bad thing, babe. It's just that," she sighed, searching for the right words. "You're so damn smart. It's intimidating for most guys. Guys have such fragile egos, deep down," she mused. For a fleeting moment, she had a sad, far off look in her eyes. But when I blinked, it was gone, making me question whether I'd really ever seen it. She picked up her barrel again. "And that's why I've sworn off dating," she smirked before taking a swig._

_I rolled my eyes. Likely story-Cana swearing off men. "I've seen you with plenty of guys, Cana."_

_Cana gave me a saucy grin and said, "There's a difference between dating and fucking, my dear." She winked when she saw me blush furiously._

_"Why does it always end in sex with you?" I chuckled lightly, not really expecting an answer._

_"Because it's what I'm_ always _thinking about," she smirked into her barrel._

The increasing volume of the strangers' heckles jolted me out of my daydream. As the catcalls continued, I saw Gajeel's features turn. A thin frown replaced the small smile that danced across his lips earlier. And while his eyes were hidden behind dark glasses, I could still see the muscles on his face scrunch, a result of narrowing his eyes.

There was something about the hard angles of his face that I just loved. Most people found him downright scary. I suppose I did at first, but, there was something damn sexy about a brooding male. He was such a bad boy, the complete opposite of me. I never broke a single rule. From the day I was born, I lived by the book, and even collected them for that matter. I was a nice girl, through and through. While the other girls in the guild jumped at the first chance they could to wear skimpy clothing, I always kept myself covered—by Fairy Tail's standards at least. I never went on dangerous jobs, opting for translation gigs instead. And if there ever was any fighting involved, I always made sure Jet and Droy were with me so I wouldn't get hurt. _"I'm just a boring bookworm…a boring, unapproachable bookworm, actually."_ I thought sadly.

Strong arms wrapped around my waist and before I knew it, I was upside down, staring at the cobblestones. Wriggling was futile. Gajeel's large hands were—

 _"Oh my Mavis, his hand is on my ass!"_ I was too shocked to even know how to respond at this point. That's when his words broke me out of my daze.

"This is not a show. Get lost!" he yelled as he shooed the men away. His voice was so deep. It really was gorgeous. I tried to look up at him as much as I could from my angle. Ever since he joined the guild, he'd always been good to me. _"Almost too good. He saved me from Laxus' lightning attack, he helped me with the S-class trials, not to mention put his life on the line so I could get away from that chicken guy…"_

It's not like I forgot about his Phantom Lord days, but he had made amends and the guild had forgiven him. I had too. It wasn't right to hold a grudge. Plus, his behavior since joining was so different. I kept going over all the times he risked his safety on my behalf since joining the guild. Why was he doing it? Why should he care about me at all? I'm just a little bookworm who can't fight. But for some reason, he always seemed to be there when I needed him.

"Gajeel…" The whisper of his name escaped my lips unintentionally. I blushed a deep red. Good thing he couldn't see my face or he'd know just how much he was affecting me.

"Fuck," he cursed under breath as he watched the throng of drunken men retreat. He turned his attention back to me, or to my ass more correctly. It must have been at that point that he realized how he was holding me. He let out his signature laugh while he gave my rear a squeeze.

I squeaked, not expecting such a bold move from the man. I tried to climb off his shoulder by pushing my hands against his back, but his hold on me was absolute.

"Gajeel! You can put me down now!" I huffed.

I felt him let out a low growl. _"His growling does not turn you on, you stupid pervert. Get a grip,"_ I internally chided myself.

"Those guys may come back," he said quietly. "And besides," his said with increasing volume as he hoisted me higher on his shoulder, causing me to let out another squeak, "You've been running from me all afternoon. No chance in hell I'm putting your ass down you so can flaunt it all over Magnolia again."

I let my arms hang limp down his back in defeat. I sighed loudly, "Gajeel, I just want to go home and change. It's been a long day and all."

"Sounds like a plan to me, Shrimp." He chuckled. "I'll walk you home so you don't have to worry about those guys."

I felt his grip slide from my rear to my upper thigh as he started walking. God his hand felt so warm and large, splayed across my thigh like that. I had to wonder just what he could do with— _"Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! No, no, no, no, no! Quit thinking your nasty thoughts,"_ my inner good girl chided.

"If you put me down, I promise I won't run away," I said hopefully. He didn't really think he was going to carry me all the way to my apartment, did he?

"Not a chance, Shrimp," he said mirthfully, as he gave my thigh a squeeze.

 _"The pervert's enjoying this!"_ I thought. Then I realized, deep down, so was I.

"Fairy Hills, right?" he asked.

"No, actually. I moved out a while ago. Found a place cheaper and closer to the guild. It's near the Cathedral, just off the central path," I informed him.

He whistled loudly. "Pretty expensive part of town there, short stuff. Seems like your little Team Shadowgear does alright." He turned around to walk in the right direction.

"I suppose so, " I reflected. "I take a lot of independent translation jobs that pay pretty well. Other than Freed, I'm the only one at the guild who can take those jobs. Plus Freed does pretty well with the Thunder Legion and all, so I usually have more than enough work on my own," I explained with pride. I was proud of my translation abilities. I learned everything I needed to know for those jobs on my own. While all the other Fairy Tail orphans were off learning how to fight, I was always in the basement library, engrossed in a book. _"Most of the others didn't even know there was a library at the guildhall until I told them,"_ I reminisced.

"That little brain of yours sure is something special, Shrimp," Gajeel said flatly. _"Oh no. Did he think I was bragging or something? Dammit, Levy! This is what Cana meant. You scare off any guy you meet cause you're just too damn full of yourself sometimes. Why can't you just be normal like everyone else? Why do you have to go around trying to prove how smart you are? So what if you can't fight as well as the others. You don't need to try and make up for it by proving how smart you are."_ My mind was going a million miles a minute. I didn't know how long I stayed silent but it must have been a while because when we stopped, I realized we were near my apartment.

"Earth to short-stuff," Gajeel singsang, shaking me lightly. "Did I break you or something? I know! You got so turned on by me holding you like this that you passed right the fuck out. That has to be it," he joked as he moved his hand further up my thigh.

He wasn't far off the mark. The way his hand gripped me the entire walk had me pretty excitable, despite my internal ramblings. _"I hope these stockings and leotard are thick enough to hide my arousal,"_ I silently prayed. _"Oh my Mavis, he's a dragon slayer. Can they smell that? Does it have a smell? How turned on am I? Maybe it's not enough for him to notice…"_ My internal panic continued until I felt myself moving side-to-side, a bit rougher than before.

"Seriously, Shrimp. Which way's your place from here?"

"Oh, sorry," I apologized, internally kicking myself for losing focus again. "Go up this first street and turn right. I'm the first building on the left," I said timidly.

We walked—or rather Gajeel walked and I bounced on his shoulder—in silence until we finally got to my door. Not many people were out this late at night, but the few that were gave us some odd looks.

I felt a second hand placed on my other thigh and I was about to say something when I felt myself being lifted again and gently placed on the ground.

"There," he said, wiping imaginary dust off his hands. "Home safe and no more running." He gave me a wink as I looked up at him.

I blushed a deep red from ear to ear. _"I really need to get this whole blushing thing under wraps,"_ I thought. I was just about to say goodnight when the Cathedral clock tower rang out across the night sky. While I loved being so close to the guild, being so close to the tower had its drawbacks—the main one being the slow loss of one's hearing.

Gajeel covered his ears quickly and a scowl took up residence on his face. He looked at the clock tower like it had done him some great evil. I laughed internally as I pictured him squaring off with the clock tower. _"You killed my father. Prepare to die." He said as he lunged towards the tower._

Large hands took up residence in my field of vision, waving back and forth. "Geez, Shrimp," he laughed when I finally looked up at him, pulled out of another daydream. "People say you're so smart but you're totally blonding out tonight."

I stomped my foot and crossed my arms while giving him a dirty look. "Am not!"

"Ok, Shrimp. You're right. People don't say you're smart." He gave me a smile full of mirth and then let out his signature laugh.

I looked at him dumfounded. _"Is he teasing me? Is he teasing me, and winning?!"_ I couldn't believe it. Not only did the pervert get his feels in, but he was also giving me the business!

I pursed my lips together and kicked an errant stone with my left foot. "Awe, come on, Shrimp. Don't be like that. I was just kidding around." His eyes said he was serious and it broke me out of my mini-temper tantrum.

"Thanks, Gajeel." I said softly. "Today was weird, but I think I had fun," I reflected, looking sideways towards the clock tower. That's when I saw how late it was. "Oh my Mavis!" I nearly yelled.

Gajeel instantly shifted into a defensive position, trying to push me behind him. His eyes narrowed and he looked out into the darkness. "What is it?" he said with a gravely voice, almost a growl.

I tugged on his jacket to try and get his attention away from the street. "No, Gajeel. Nothing like that. Everything's fine. I just was surprised by how late it is, that's all." He still wasn't looking at me, so I grabbed his chin with both hands to turn his head towards me. I don't know what possessed me to do it—it just happened. Those crimson eyes focused on me and I was lost in their depths. My hands lingered on his face a moment too long. He reached up and cupped my hands in his, then slowly, as if he was fighting with himself, brought them down. He didn't let go of my hands and just continued to stare at me with those intense eyes.

I laughed nervously, breaking the mood and he grabbed his hands back quickly, sticking them into his pockets and directing his gaze out into the street again. "Yeah, I should probably start heading home." His voice was quiet.

"How far of a walk is it for you from here?" I asked. I didn't know where Gajeel lived. I'm not sure anyone did, actually.

"I've got a place over by the train station," he said. "It's about a 35 minute walk from here."

"That's so far!" I gasped. "You walk from there to the guild every day?"

"Yeah. But when I get back from missions, the short commute more than makes up for it," he reasoned, giving me a small smile.

"Well, if you wanted," I trailed off. Should I really be asking him this? _"Yes! Imagine what it would be like for him to be in your bed! Rubbing all that glorious muscle all over your body!"_ My face turned bright red again. _"You stupid scarlet. Put a lid on that damn estrogen of yours!"_

"Huh?" he cocked his eyebrow at me, clearly waiting for me to finish.

I shook my head. "Sorry. I just, it's late and all."

"Yep, we did establish that. You sure you're the smart one at the guild, Shrimp?" he chuckled.

God what was wrong with me? Why did I get like this around him? Apparently I don't even know how to speak proper English around Gajeel. Why did he have such an effect on me? "Well it's late and you walked me home so…"

"Sooo…" he quirked his lip, giving me a crooked smile. _"Damn, he's sexy."_

"So, you're welcome to crash here, if you want!" I all but blurted out.

Gajeel cocked his right eyebrow. "You work fast, don't you, Shorty?" I was about to lay into him, but before I got the chance, he continued. "Actually, that'd be pretty cool, if you really don't mind. I'm pretty exhausted from chasing this crazy chick all over Magnolia for the entire afternoon."

I turned on my heel and pulled my fob out of the front of my leotard to buzz the lobby door open. "Maybe she didn't want to be caught if she was running away from you," I said with a smirk.

He followed me through the door, and then let out his signature laugh, adding, "Oh, she definitely wanted to be caught."

_"Dammit."_

 


	2. Wish Upon a Star

"Oi! Shrimp! Do ya live on the hundredth floor or something?"

I turned myself around and continued to walk up the stairs backwards. I giggled down at him, "Don't tell me a couple flights of stairs has the great Iron Dragonslayer out of breath!"

His finger went up to his sunglasses and he slid them down his nose so I could peek at his eyes. "If you're worryin' about my stamina, there ain't no need to fret." He threw me a crooked grin followed by his signature laugh.

I could feel the blood warming my cheeks and I stumbled slightly and almost fell before I caught myself with the railing. _"Stupid Gajeel,"_ I thought. _"Always making me look dumb."_ I tried to hide my almost-fall from grace by turning around and climbing faster.

"We're almost there." I stopped on the landing of the sixth floor and passed the fob over the receiver to unlock the door. I waited at the top for Gajeel to catch up with my back holding the door open.

"How many floors does this place have?" He asked as he reached the landing.

"This is the top," I replied. "Those" I motioned towards the next set of stairs, "go up to the roof."

"Living life in the penthouse, huh short-stuff." I rolled my eyes as he walked by.

"Not exactly," I mumbled, as I let the door close behind me.

"What kind of penthouse doesn't have an—" He stopped so abruptly in the middle of the hallway that I walked straight into his back and promptly fell backwards on my ass. _"Geez, could this day just end already?"_

"Gajeel!" I huffed, picking myself up from the floor and dusting off my backside.

"What the hell is that?" He was pointing to a little alcove that housed two doors with a little button on the right hand side.

I raised my hand to my lips and giggled. "It's an elevator! I win!" Then I burst out laughing. There is a point, when you get so tired, that you start to act like you're just a little bit tipsy. I was getting to that point.

"No shit short-lock. Why didn't we take it?" He looked at me quizzically.

"Short-lock?" I looked up at him in confusion.

"Like Sherlock, but you're short. Just, never mind," he huffed. I skipped past him down the hallway.

"I'm just used to taking the stairs. Trying to save the planet and all, you know." I giggled as I turned to face my apartment door. I reached down into my leotard again to fish out my key. _"Oh for Mavis' sake!"_ It had fallen further down my outfit so it was resting just above my navel. Unless I wanted to strip right there in the hallway, I wasn't going to be able to reach it. I crouched over and started trying to push it up and out of the spandex.

Gajeel just stood there with a raised eyebrow. "Well, it's not like this thing has pockets!" I sighed just before the key popped out from between my tits and fell onto the floor. "There it is!" I exclaimed, as I bent over to pick up the sought after item.

"No shrimp. There certainly isn't room for pockets in that get up." He chuckled softly.

I felt a blush creep across my cheeks again as I stood up and put the key in the lock. _"Stupid Gajeel."_

When I heard the lock click, I pushed the heavy door all the way open and waited for Gajeel to follow me. "Nice place ya got," he said as he looked around. "Where are all those books of yours?"

"Yeah. When faced with the prospect of moving my entire library from Fairy Hills to here, I chose sanity over convenience. I've got a few of them in a small shelf in my bedroom, but the majority of them Erza helped me move to the guild's library. Since I'm close, it's not that big of a deal."

Gajeel grunted in understanding and I motioned for him to have a seat at the kitchen table so he could take off his shoes. My apartment wasn't big by any means, but it was big enough for me. The entrance opened up into a big room with the kitchen first and then a sitting area. I had a couch against one side of the wall and a lacrimavision on the other supported by a stand. A small iron wrought dining room set with a glass top separated the two areas. A door to the left led to the bathroom and my bedroom.

Gajeel took his hat and sunglasses off and placed them on the table, than ran a hand through his thick main to even it out. "Nice table you got here. I like the material." He gave me a wink.

"Please don't eat it!" I said without thinking.

He chuckled and replied, "I ain't gonna eat your furniture, Shrimp. I got better manners than that."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Sorry," I laughed nervously. "I can make you something, if you want! Considering you've been chasing me all day, you're probably pretty hungry."

"Got any of that iron of yours?" _"Did he just sound hopeful? Nah, it's probably just my exhaustion making me hear things,"_ I thought to myself.

I couldn't stop the small smile that quirked the edges of my lips upward. "Uh, yeah. I can make you some iron." I quickly brought my right arm in front of me while placing the palm of my left hand behind my right elbow. "Just be ready to catch it, okay? I don't want a hole in my floor!"

Gajeel cocked his eyebrow and stood up in front of me. Then, very clearly I spoke the word "Iron," and the words fell from just above us. Gajeel stretched out his arms and caught it easily.

He threw me a saucy grin. "No heart this time?"

"No heart?" I asked, giving him a confused look as I started to take my heels off where I stood. _"What the heck is he talking about?"_ I wondered.

He let out a small grunt, as if thinking to himself. "Never mind," he said slowly. "Oi, I thought you had to use a pen to write this stuff."

"Nope!" I said as I reached up to remove my bunny ears. "That's just for writing runes," I explained. He nodded his head in understanding and then sat back down at the kitchen table with his prize. "Mind if I take the first shower?" I asked, shyly. I didn't want to be rude, but I really was exhausted.

"I ain't never gonna say no to you getting naked in the same room as me, Shrimp," he chuckled before taking a bite into his meal. I stuttered while trying to formulate a response. "Go on ahead," he said through chews. "I'm good here."

"Thanks. I'll be quick." I walked quickly into the bathroom and closed the door behind me before he could see me blush. _"Stupid Gajeel. Being all pervy again."_

I peeled the leotard and nylons off my body and signed in relief. Finally I could breathe again! I turned the water on and waited for it to get hot before stepping into the spray. My bathroom was pretty standard. A mirror and sink, a toilet and a shower tub was pretty much all there was to it. _"Nothing like Lucy's bathroom and her ridiculous stone tub,"_ I chuckled to myself.

Even over the sound of the shower I could still hear Gajeel's crunching in the next room. _"How am I going to be able to sleep tonight, knowing that all that muscle is literally in the next room?"_ I leaned back against the wall of the shower. I couldn't understand it—why I got so tongue-tied around him. _"Besides the fact that he's over six feet of godliness. Yeah, besides that."_ But I didn't get that way around Laxus and he arguably had even a few more inches of godliness on him compared to Gajeel.

 _"Hmm,"_ I mused, _"I wonder how many inches of godliness Gajeel does have on him."_ I giggled to myself at the dirty thought. I pondered what he would say if he could hear what I was thinking. _"Probably something super perverted and suggestive."_ I smiled at the thought and sighed as the hot water continued to run down me in rivers.

I opened my eyes and looked down my body—only to realize I had absent-mindedly allowed my hand to slide down between my thighs. _"What am I doing?! I can't do that with him in the other room!"_ I quickly brought my hand back up and finished rinsing myself off before turning off the water.

I stepped out into the cold air and grabbed a big towel from cupboard above the toilet. Wrapping myself tightly I walked through the door that connected the bathroom to my bedroom. I threw on an oversized silk chemise and matching robe. It wasn't overly sexy, like some of the things Lucy slept in. The ensemble was light blue and the chemise had thin straps that led into a scoop neck and ended mid thigh. The robe was the same color and materials and I made sure to wrap it and tie it tight before walking out into the main room.

Gajeel had since taken off his jacket and rolled up the sleeves to his dress shirt. He was just about to pop the last piece of iron into his mouth when I walked out. He froze for a split second and eyed me up and down. I shifted nervously under his gaze, wrapping my arms tightly around myself. "Shower's yours if you want it," I said softly, looking at the floor.

He threw the last piece of iron into his mouth and crunched it loudly. "Thanks, Shorty," he said while getting up and walking towards the bathroom.

When I finally heard the lock on the bathroom door click and the shower turn on, I plopped myself down on the couch and let out a big sigh. _"When he looks at me, I feel like I'm back to being a 16-year old again!"_

I thought back to those high school years. I was unbelievably shy for the first few years of high school. I barely talked to anyone and I always had my nose in a book. Books were my shields. If I was reading, I didn't need anyone to talk to. I didn't need any friends.

_"Watcha' readin'?" The question startled me. I was so engrossed in my latest novel that I hadn't realized someone had sat down next to me. It was a boy I didn't recognize. He was dressed in a simple white v-neck tee and green shorts. He had dark black hair that was slicked back but two tufts on the top of his head seemed to break loose from the gel._

_"Uh, it's called The Black Swan," I replied, uncertainly. No one ever bothered me while I was reading._

_"Well, what's it about?" He edged closer._

_I sighed. "It's the retelling of the famous fairy tale! It's about a sorceress who has to figure out a way to free herself and her friends from magical slavery." I didn't really know how to explain it._

_"Sounds cool!" He gave me a big grin._

_"Yeah, I guess so," I responded._

_"I'm Droy, by the way. I'm new here."_

_"I'm Levy." I gave him a small smile._

My friendship with Droy developed pretty fast and before I knew it, we were falling for each other, just like most 16-year olds do. We never went all the way, but he was my first for almost everything else. We dated for almost a year, which I suppose in high school is like forever. When I finally broke it off with him, we agreed we'd stay friends and we did. Still are. It's not that I didn't care about him. It's just that I felt like he was too into me, if that makes sense. _"Us not dating didn't really stop that,"_ I pondered. _"Even after all these years, he still seems to carry the flame bad."_

Both him and Jet, for that matter. Jet had been different. I didn't mean to hook up with him. It just kinda—happened. But for me, it was a one-time thing. We had only fooled around a little but I still made him promise to never tell Droy. Dating Jet would have been a disaster, even if we did have pretty good chemistry. I just knew it would ruin his and Droy's friendship; I just couldn't do that to them.

So, I just put up with their uncomfortable fandom. I suppose some days it made me feel wanted—like maybe I didn't need all those books after all. At the end of the day, I really did owe it to those two for breaking me out of my shell.

The door to the bathroom opened and a puff of steam escaped into the main room before dissipating. When the steam finally cleared, there was Gajeel, standing proud in nothing but one of my bath towels, sitting low on his hips.

I couldn't tear my eyes away. More like, I didn't want to tear my eyes away. I started with his shoulders. They were so broad; I was amazed he fit in the doorway. I could see the edge of his black guildmark on his left shoulder. My eyes trailed down his arms to bulging biceps and then to his four round piercings on each forearm.

A droplet of water caught my eye and I followed its delicious path down his massive chest to his sculpted abs. It traveled further, edging along the v of his hips before disappearing beneath the towel. I whimpered at the towel's placement. _"Just a little bit lower—"_ I thought.

A deep chuckle pulled me out of my trance and I looked up into crimson eyes. He shifted his stance so his right arm was over his head as he leaned against the doorframe. _"Holy moly Mavis, could he be any sexier?"_

"See something ya like, Shrimp?" I could feel the heat in my cheeks and I searched desperately in my head for words. _"Please, something, anything! Stop sitting here like an idiot and say something!"_

"I, uh…" I faltered. "Would you put some clothes on?!" I finally huffed, throwing a pillow in his direction.

He easily knocked it aside, grinning. "Got no clothes with me," he drawled.

I stood up and shook my head, trying to clear some of the fog. "I think I have something you can wear," I said while heading towards the bathroom door. I stood in front of him, keeping my eyes fixed on the floor.

His large frame filled the entire passageway so that even I couldn't sneak by without pushing him to the side. "Did ya need something?" he leaned forward and said it in a quiet voice, right next to my ear.

I jumped back a little, instinctually putting my hand up to where I felt his breath. "Gajeel," I whined a little. "My closet's through the bathroom."

He stood up straight and looked over top of my head. "Didn't hear you say the magic word."

"Fine, sleep naked!" I huffed as I started to turn around. Strong hands wrapped around my shoulders and I felt myself being swirled around quickly. Before I could get my bearings, his hands left my shoulders and I felt his palm collide with my ass, lingering for just a second to give it a squeeze. "Go on then, Shrimp," he laughed.

I jumped up a little in surprise and let out a high-pitched squeak while simultaneously grabbing my backside. "Gajeel!" I exclaimed. I didn't stop though. I ran through the bathroom and into my closet before I leaned my back against the doorframe to catch my breath.

I heard his signature laugh from the other room. _"Stupid Gajeel."_ I pursed my lips. I rummaged through my drawers. I was pretty sure I had a spare pair of men's boxers in here and an extra large shirt. When I finally got my hands on the black cotton boxers and plain white shirt, I gathered my courage and walked calmly back out into the main room, right up to the culprit.

"Here," I said, pushing the clothes at him.

He cocked his eyebrow at me. "I ain't wearing some other guy's boxers."

My right foot gave an involuntary little stomp and I looked him straight in the eye. "They're not _some other guy's boxers_ , thank you very much! They're mine!"

"Why do you have men's boxers?" He leaned down as he said it and narrowed his eyes at me.

"Don't judge me! They're comfortable!" I said with exasperation.

"Well alright then," he said standing tall and taking the clothes.

 _"Glad that's over,"_ I thought to myself. _"Is it weird that he's wearing my clothes? Will it be weird the next time I wear them? Like, I would wash them of course but—"_

He cleared his throat loudly. "You waiting for a show or something, shorty?"

"Huh?" I brought my eyes up to give him a confused look and saw him smirking at me. "Oh!" I exclaimed and quickly ran out of the room, slamming the bathroom door. I cringed, "Sorry!"

_"Stupid Gajeel!"_

I busied myself trying to find spare pillows, sheets and a comforter for the pull out sofa. It was a few extra dollars when I bought it but I figured this way Lucy could sleep over if she ever needed to. _"Who would have thought the first person to use it would be Gajeel!"_ I laughed to myself.

"Hey Gajeel!" I yelled through the door. I heard him grunt on the other side in acknowledgement. "The sofa pulls out." Another grunt.

After a minute or two I went to the door and yelled, "Are you decent?"

I heard a faint chuckle and then he responded, "As I'll ever be."

_"Stupid Gajeel."_

I had all the fixings for the bed bundled up in my arms as I walked out of the bathroom. The comforter trailed along the floor and before I realized it, I stepped on it. I scrunched my eyes, waiting for the impact as I felt myself fall forward, but it never came. I looked up to see Gajeel with his arms wrapped tightly around my waist. He moved to pull me up, pressing the front of his body firmly against the back of mine. He leaned in and whispered right into my ear, "Careful, Shrimp. No need to get all tripped up around me."

His breath was hot in my ear and his voice was so low and gravely. I shivered involuntarily. _"Stupid Gajeel! He does not turn you on! He does NOT turn you on! HE DOES NOT TURN YOU ON!"_

I laughed nervously and wriggled myself free of his grasp, throwing the blankets on the makeshift bed. "Thanks," I said softly. "Help me put the sheets on?" I smiled brightly up at him. _"Must not let him know how much he affects me!"_ I internally vowed.

He grunted and moved to the other side of the sofa. I took the brief opportunity to eye him up and down. He was in nothing but a pair of boxer briefs—my boxer briefs!—and a white v neck shirt. His hair was still damp but it was starting to return to its normal spiky quality. Simply put-he looked sexy as sin.

Within a few minutes we had the bed completely made. Gajeel sprawled himself out on it and it creaked under his weight. He tilted his head back and looked at me upside down. His long arm reached out and grabbed my hand with a tug. I lost my balance and fell softly onto the bed. "Oomph! Gajeel—" but he didn't let me finish.

He let go of my hand quickly and rolled onto his side, propping his head up with his elbow. "Thanks, Shrimp. I appreciate you lettin' me crash here for the night." He looked at me with such intensity; it was like his eyes were seeing straight into my soul.

"You're welcome," I managed to say, softly. "Thanks for getting me home safe."

He plopped himself down on his back again and sighed, "Can't let anything happen to my shrimp, now can I?"

 _"MY shrimp? Oh my Mavis! Did he just call me his? That's so…so….unexpected. It's probably nothing; I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it. Right? Just a slip of the tongue…mmm his tongue. OH MY MAVIS STOP!"_ My mind was whizzing again and I couldn't stop its rapid descent into chaos.

Just as I was about to go full on bonkers, I felt a sharp flick, right on my forehead. "Did you just…"

_"He wouldn't."_

"Did you just flick me?"

_"He did."_

I looked at him with wide eyes. His fingers were still right in front of my face, spread wide evidencing his guilt. He had moved so he was balancing on his knees and one hand, not too far from me. _"How did I miss him moving?"_

"It was either that or you spend the night with me, shorty. But I prefer to leave women in a daze, not start off with them like that," he grinned and let out his signature laugh.

 _"Stupid Gajeel!"_ I bristled at his rude comment and stood up from the bed. I turned to walk towards my bedroom, but just as I reached the threshold, I turned around and said as sweetly as possible, "You wish!"

It didn't even faze him. He just winked at me and responded, "upon a star."

_"Stupid Gajeel!"_


	3. Wet Hot Fantasies

I wiped at my eyes sleepily and turned to look at the little alarm clock next to my bed. _"2:46 A.M. Great. So much for being functional tomorrow."_

My lips were totally chapped and my throat was so dry. _"Damn this stupid dry winter air. It's literally sucking the life out of me. Maybe if I get some water, it will help me fall back asleep."_ I sighed and pushed away the warmth of my comforter. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and used my hands to give myself a boost. I waited for a second to steady myself before I finally dragged ass out to the kitchen to grab some water.

I was so out of it that I totally forgot Gajeel was asleep in the next room on the pullout. I walked through the bathroom and opened the separating door without much care. I squinted in the darkness, trying to use the little light from above the oven to guide my steps. _"I just know I'm going to trip on something,"_ I thought as I spread my arms out wide in front of me to try and feel my way in the darkness.

I didn't get too far though. Without warning a large hand pressed firmly over my mouth while another pinned my arms down to my sides, holding me firm against a hulking body.

Realization that I had a guest dawned on me and I tried in vain to twist myself free. "Gajeel, it's just me," I tried to say from behind his hand. Upon hearing my muffled words, he must have snapped out of it too. I felt his muscles relax behind me as a small amount of his weight collapsed around me. The hand that was clamped over my mouth loosened and slid slowly down over my jaw, then my neck before it stopped just above my cleavage. I gave an involuntary shiver at the sensation.

His other hand relaxed as well so my arms weren't pinned against my sides. I felt it snake its way to my waist as he squeezed me closer to him. He let his head fall into the crook of my neck and breathed deeply. "Sorry. I'm a little on edge when I'm sleeping in a new place."

I let out a shaky breath and nodded my head timidly. I won't say he didn't scare me. Who wouldn't be scared when a two hundred plus pound man pins you down at nearly three in the morning? But I knew deep down that I had just startled him and I was safe.

He used the hand on my waist to spin me so that my front was facing his. His one hand stayed in the small of my back while the other wound its way around to the nape of my neck and he pulled me in for a close embrace. It was at that moment that I realized he didn't have his shirt on and I didn't have my robe on. The only thing separating us was just my chemise's thin layer of silk.

I burrowed my head deeper into his chest, taking full advantage of the impromptu embrace. His arms were warm and his iron scent was strangely calming. I let out a deep sigh and relaxed in his arms.

I don't know how long we stayed like that, but at some point he broke the hug. Large fingers brushed against my chin and lifted my head so I was looking into his crimson gaze. My eyes widened as he spoke, "I am never going to hurt you, Levy." He said it so softly that I almost missed it. His use of my name caused my voice to catch in my throat. "And I am never going to let anyone else hurt you. I swear it," he declared in a gentle whisper.

"Gajeel, I—" I was going to tell him that I knew that; that I knew he would never hurt me. I wanted to tell him that I trusted him and that he'd never let me down once since joining the guild. But I didn't get the chance.

Thin lips pressed firmly onto mine. The back of my throat made an involuntary squeak before the sound melted into a low, satisfied hum. His lips were softer than I anticipated. _"Geez, I hope mine aren't all chapped still."_ But silly thoughts like that fell by the wayside when he deepened the kiss.

His lips moved against mine as he angled his head. His hands came up; one cupping my cheek, the other wrapping around the nape of my neck, pulling me into him even more. His kiss was all consuming. Every thought I ever had flew out of my brain and if the world had ended that moment, I don't think I ever would have noticed.

I brought my hands up and splayed them on his chest. His muscles were so unyielding, even as I dug my fingers in to his skin lightly. As he continued to kiss me, I lifted myself up on my tiptoes. His lips pulled away from mine and as quickly as it started, it ended.

I stood frozen in place, still up on my tiptoes. My fingers were still spread wide across his bare chest and I breathed deeply, sucking in oxygen I didn't know I needed. His hand never left the nape of my neck though and he pulled me in close again. But this time, his lips went past mine. He let out a hot breath as he whispered in my ear "Try not to overthink it." A low growl passed his lips and he gently grabbed my earlobe between his teeth, giving it the smallest swipe with his tongue.

He broke the embrace and backed away from me. I wobbled in place for a second as I grabbed my earlobe. All sorts of sensations were running through me, all of them seeming to want to settle between my thighs. With just the smallest contact he had me totally hooked. He was like a drug; I needed more. I knew my nipples were showing through my chemise but I couldn't bring myself to care.

He moved to get back into bed and my soul finally climbed back into my body from where it had briefly ascended. "What are you doing wandering around at this hour, shrimp? You sleep walkin' or something?" he asked with a yawn.

I licked my lips and rubbed them together to try and get the feeling to return. I slowly brought my hand back down from my ear. I turned around and leaned against the counter to steady myself.

"Just grabbing some water," I said softly. He grunted in response and I heard the sheets rustle as he covered himself back up. I went on automatic and quickly grabbed my water, before turning to shuffle back to the bathroom door.

Through his stifled yawn, I heard him hum briefly before mumbling, "She tastes good…"

I closed the bathroom door quietly and carefully placed my water glass down on the counter. I braced myself on the sink and breathed deeply and quietly. _"Do not overthink it. He was just tired, that's all. Yeah, he was just out of his element, and tired, and he thinks you taste good. Nothing to freak out about."_

My mind screamed internally. _"Who am I kidding? Of course I'm going to freak out about this. It's Gajeel! And he kissed me! I mean, it's not like I didn't enjoy it, because holy mavis I so did. But, what does this mean? Is he into me? Why would he be into a washboard bookworm like me? Ugh! This is so confusing! I'm so tired!"_

I picked up my water and downed half of it in one gulp. I decided the best thing for me was sleep so I dragged myself back to bed, trying not to think about the deliciousness that was outside my bedroom or what it just did to me. _"Just sleep. You can figure this all out in the morning. Just sleep."_

_. . ._

The chimes of my alarm sounded softly, rousing me out of my slumber. I ran a hand through my messy locks before rolling over to stop the noise. I must have had a bout of night sweats; I could feel and smell the lingering evidence.

I groaned as I rolled myself out of bed. I never was a morning person. I tried for so long to be one, but it just never clicked. _"A for effort?"_ I smirked to myself. I always envied those people that were up at 5, getting their workouts in before starting their day. I was plenty good at staying up late and working—as a matter of fact, that is usually when I got my best work done. _"I suppose I should just embrace it as a strength and make the most of it. This one's for you Nietzsche!"_ I chuckled internally.

I pulled my chemise up over my head as I walked towards the bathroom door. Once inside, I switched on the light and blinked several times to encourage my eyes to adjust. I brushed my teeth at the sink while I let the water warm, then finally stepped into the spray and pulled the curtain closed.

I let the water run over my blue locks as I slicked them back and off my face. I breathed in the steam deeply, letting it warm and waken me. I just loved a long hot shower. There really was nothing quite like it.

The sound of the other door to the bathroom opening jolted me out of my reverie. "Gajeel!" I huffed. "Occupied!" I wrapped my arms around my breasts, trying to shield myself even further behind the curtain.

A low chuckle filled the small room, bouncing off the walls. "I heard sharing is caring," he said languidly, before pulling the curtain back to step into the water.

"Gajeel!" I backed up further into the corner, trying desperately to cover too many bits with not enough hands. "I'm in here!" I was more than embarrassed at this point. I probably looked like my entire body was sunburnt, considering how furiously I was blushing.

"Even better," he growled. He moved his body in front of mine, trapping me in my little corner. His eyes were on mine. _"So intense."_ Without breaking our gaze, he reached behind himself and pulled the curtain closed. Everything seemed to darken around me, as I concentrated on his crimson orbs.

The black spikes of his hair hung loosely around his face. The jet of the shower was hitting his back, matting his locks against his skin. The piercings on his face glistened in the steam. Those round studs, the harsh angles on his face, his piercing gaze all combined to form the most intriguing male.

I nervously broke his gaze as he bent his right arm over my head to lean against the shower's wall. I couldn't help but stare as the muscles in his shoulders bunched in their new position. My eyes traveled the length of his arm to land on his massive chest. Water poured over his well-defined pectorals before continuing its path south to his sculpted abs.

An oversized bath towel didn't stop my gaze this time and I took full advantage. He was so built. His ass was firm and created the perfect sharp lines down to his manhood. His cock was gorgeous—exactly what a woman would want: a little bigger than average and thick. I doubt I could get my fingers to touch if I held him in my hand. His shaft was smooth with a large vein traveling its length and the pink crown of his cock had enlarged, pushing his foreskin back.

I shivered involuntarily as I looked back up at him. His eyes had never left mine. It was a good thing I was in the shower, otherwise there would have been a puddle on the floor from how aroused I was.

 _"Should we really be doing this? I know I want to but, isn't this all just happening too fast?"_ I argued with my conscience.

Just like the night before, he leaned in against my ear, nibbling lightly on the lobe before he whispered, "You're overthinking it."

I gasped as his lips were on mine in an instant. His tongue swiped left and right against my bottom lip. I moaned softly as he drew it into his mouth and teased it further with his tongue.

I couldn't think straight with him all around me. His iron scent, his skillful lips, and his hulking frame—I was lost in it all. There was ferocity in his kiss that was missing the last time. He let out a low growl as he pushed his tongue into my mouth. His muscle expertly slid against mine and I fell into him further.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and began kissing him back with everything I was worth. It was hot, animalistic, and fierce. I loved it.

His arms moved so that one was against the small of my back, pushing me further into his form, while the other traveled slowly down my body. He trailed his fingers lightly across my shoulder and down the length of my arm. Goosebumps formed on my skin as he continued his descent. When he reached my wrist, his fingers traveled back up, brushing against my side, just barely touching the underside of my breast. The contact was brief and left me wanting more, but his fingertips trailed back down, continuing south before he finally wrapped his hand around my rear and gave the supple flesh a firm squeeze.

His massaging stimulated me even further. His hand was in that spot that drove me crazy, just at the bottom of my ass cheek. His fingers flexed near my junction but never touched it. _"Sweet Mavis I want him to touch me everywhere."_

He broke from my lips as he began pressing slow kisses along my jaw line. He sucked a small section of my neck into his mouth, teasing it with his tongue. I knew the mark it was going to leave but I didn't care. If I was being honest, I wanted him to leave his marks on me. His hands lifted to rest on my hips as he nipped his way across my collarbone.

His left hand lifted to cup my breast as he moved his lips back onto my neck. As he pulled another section of skin into his mouth, I let my hands travel down the length of his chest, past his abs, and traced the v of his hips. I stroked his fully erect manhood gently, bringing the foreskin up over the head before pumping it down again. He let out a low hum and nipped at my neck, as I continued to caress him.

His thumbs finally found their way to my erect nipples. He lightly brushed over the right before tweaking it gently with his index finger. I'd always been sensitive there and I let out a gasp and threw my head back at the sensation.

My reaction only served to encourage him. He trailed his lips down my bosom, between my peaks before finally latching onto a rosy peak. I squeezed my eyes shut from the pleasure as his tongue drew lazy circles around my tip while his index finger repeated the motion on my other breast.

When I finally opened my eyes to look down at him work, I was shocked to see him staring at me intensely. Mouth and fingers switched places and my head was hitting the back of the shower again. His heavy length was still in my hand as I tried to pump it evenly, despite the waves of pleasure that were increasing around me.

He finally let go of my nipple, brushing his thumb against it to wipe the excess saliva. His hand grasped lightly onto my wrist to stop my movements before he rasped, "Tell me I can have you."

I was too far-gone. "Fuck me, Gajeel," I husked, holding his gaze.

His growl bounced off this walls and I felt myself being pushed up against the back wall of the tub. His right forearm hooked under my left knee, exposing my maidenhood.

The fingers of his left hand gently tickled my lower lips as his thumb pressed into my clit. He made slow circles at first before he picked up the pace. As I became increasingly wet, his index finger slowly circled my opening. I couldn't contain the moan of pleasure that escaped my lips as I knocked my head back, yet again. I closed my eyes as I felt his digit enter me. It circled inside me briefly before he pulled it out, only to repeat the motion, over and over again. At some point he added a second finger, stretching me slightly.

I started to feel like I was floating. His movements had me feeling so high and so free. A tension was building in my lower muscles as the walls of my womanhood tightened around his fingers. My breathing became short and I began to twitch slightly. Just when I thought I couldn't handle the pleasure, my walls squeezed hard around his fingers before pulsing their release. Garbled words and screams fell from my mouth as my entire body pulsed with pleasure. Warmth spread throughout my body followed by a tingling sensation that never got old.

My eyes were still closed as I felt his fingers withdraw and his lips close over mine. He broke the kiss and I opened my eyes. His left hand stroked his shaft once before he guided it to my entrance. With one arm bracing myself against his shoulders, I reached my other hand down to spread my lips for him. I was eager, but I didn't care. I just needed him between me, inside me.

I got my wish. With one fluid movement, he seated himself to the hilt. He slid in easily since my release made my cunt more than ready. His shaft felt amazing inside of me as it stretched me deliciously. He slowly slid out of me, leaving just the head in, before thrusting firmly back inside me.

His pace was agonizingly slow at first and I moaned wantonly each time he settled himself inside me. I threw my arms behind me, gripping the metal towel bar for support as his speed increased. Before I knew it, he was thrusting into me wildly as my breasts bounced with each movement.

"Levy," he moaned my name. "You feel so damn good."

My walls clenched involuntarily at his words. I didn't want him to hold back any longer. I wanted to experience everything he had to give. "Just let go, Gajeel," I responded breathlessly.

He quickly pulled out and I whimpered at the loss. I felt his fingers wrap around my hips and turn me around. His arms lifted to place my hands on the support bar in front of me. I spread my legs wide and popped my ass up as a smirk graced my lips.

His right hand caressed my right cheek before he pushed himself back into me. I screamed at the different sensation. His right arm wrapped firmly around my hips, leveraging me as he thrust into me with renewed vigor. The sensation was entirely different and he was hitting spots that felt somehow deeper from this angle. My breasts bounced furiously as I braced myself against the metal bar.

I closed my eyes tightly, reveling in the pleasure. I felt his movements slow before I sensed his frame lean over me. His hot breath danced across my ear before he rasped, "Your ass feels amazing, Levy." He cupped one cheek and thrust into me powerfully.

I was so far past blushing at this point as he stood back to his full height. His hands moved so his fingers dug firmly into my pelvis. His pace quickened and I could tell he was heading towards his release. I wanted—no needed—to feel his cock pulse against my walls. "Come inside me, Gajeel! You know I need it!" I managed to say between gasps.

At my words, his right arm wound around me, pulling my back to his front. He growled in my ear before giving one final thrust, deep inside me. I gasped loudly as I felt his hot seed fill me completely.

I learned my head back into the crook of his neck as I felt his cock pulse against my walls. I breathed his metallic scent in, letting it fill me as I closed eyes. I felt his lips caress the side of my neck gently.

I slowly opened my eyes, feeling utterly spent-only to find myself still in my own bed.

_"Oh, what the absolute fuck?"_


	4. Extremely Delicious

I groaned softly while staring up at the ceiling. _"What the hell is he doing to me?"_ I closed my eyes, reliving the entire dream quickly in my head. I brought my fingers up lightly to the side of my neck, touching the places he had sucked in my dream. I squeezed my eyes tighter as I thought about his lips on my neck, his fingers on my breasts and his member in my-

Soft chimes slowly filled the room, startling me out of my daydream. I groaned again as I rolled over to turn off the alarm. I pinched myself on the arm. _"Ouch! Well, at least I know this time it's for real."_

I tried to wipe the sleep from my eyes as I swung my legs down to the ground. I grabbed my robe from where I had thrown in the night before and wrapped it tightly around myself. Walking through the bathroom, my steps slowed as I looked at the shower. _"Maybe I'll wait until he leaves to rinse off."_

I slowly opened the bathroom door so I wouldn't disturb Gajeel. There was no need, however. He was awake and sitting up on the pullout. His shirt was still off and the sheet was resting in his lap as he lounged with his hands behind his head against the back of the sofa. The lacrimavision was on softly.

I couldn't stop myself from staring. Thoughts of my dream came flooding to the forefront of my mind. I looked at his hands, folded behind his head and imagined what it was like to have them caressing my entire body. I looked at his thin lips and remembered how much pleasure they caused when they latched onto my breasts. I looked at his broad chest and remembered what it felt like to have it pressed up against me.

My staring must have alerted him to my presence, because he turned his head towards me. "Mornin' Shrimp," he cocked a smile my way. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah," I hesitated. "Pretty well." I wasn't very religious but I threw a silent prayer up to the Lord above that either he hadn't heard me last night or that I hadn't made any noise while I was dreaming.

"Sure sounded like it," he said, followed by his signature laugh.

_"Okay, God. Got the message, I don't go to church enough."_

My eyes widened as I looked at him, dumbfounded and totally glued to the spot. I tried to open my mouth to say something but nothing came out.

He lowered his hands from behind his head and pushed the sheet away from his legs. Bouncing slightly on the bed, he moved himself to the edge and stood to his full height; his full, glorious, sexy as sin height. The only clothing on him was the dark pair of boxer briefs, which hugged his legs oh-so perfectly.

My eyes traveled down his waist to his sculpted thighs. He obviously wasn't skipping leg day. As I stood there, indiscreetly appreciating the legs of the nearly naked man in my apartment, they started to move. I looked up as he strode towards me.

My brain finally started firing signals to my muscles again and I backed up until I felt the cold stone of the counter press into the small of my back. He continued to bear down on me. Within a few steps, he had me caged against the counter. He braced both hands on either side of me and leaned into my personal space.

"Well, Shrimp?" he drawled. "What's for breakfast?"

I gulped as I looked into his piercing eyes. "I…uh," _"Come on, brain! Work!"_

He leaned in further and I held my breath. "I'm really craving some—" his right hand snaked its way behind me on the counter, barely brushing the fabric of my robe. "Toast," he said, standing straight and pulling a loaf of bread from behind me. "Got any fixings?" he asked, walking towards the toaster oven on the other side of the kitchen.

I sucked down air like it was about to expire. Forcing myself to move, I pulled open the refrigerator door and let the cold air wash over me as I closed my eyes for a moment. _"You can do this, Levy. You can be a functioning human being around him. Just imagine him in his underwear or something—I'm so dumb."_

With my newfound determination I grabbed some butter and jam from the fridge. Gajeel had put four pieces of toast into the mini oven and was leaning back against the counter, watching me.

"Did you want anything to go with it?" I asked hesitantly, trying not to heat up from his gaze. "I can make us some eggs or something."

"I could go for some eggs," he smiled wide, "and some iron, if you're willing." He winked at me.

"I'm willing," I responded too quickly. I turned around quickly to hide my deepening blush. _"Dammit woman! Check yourself!"_

I heard him chuckle softly. I turned around with my hands already in position, "Solid Script Magic: Iron." The words appeared just above his head, and he barely had time to push off from the counter to catch them. I giggled behind my hand.

"Warn a guy, wouldchya?" he said, somewhat frazzled.

"Whoops!" I continued to giggle softly, as I turned around to put a pan on the stove.

He set his prize down on the table as I went about prepping the eggs. I could feel his eyes on me again as I turned to face the stove. "Put a shirt on," I huffed. _"But seriously, please don't put a shirt on."_ I silently prayed.

"Nah," he leaned back against the counter. "You like me better this way."

_"So there is a God! I mean—stupid Gajeel!"_

Another couple of minutes had all our food ready and out on the table. We sat down on opposite sides of the table and he gave me a crooked smile. "Thanks for the grub."

I smiled back at him before I looked down at my plate and tucked an errant hair behind my ear. "You're welcome," I responded softly.

As he began to scoop eggs onto his plate, I put a piece of toast onto mine. "Oh!" I exclaimed, jumping up. "Peanut butter!"

"Huh?" he said with his mouth full.

"I like peanut butter on my toast. Just something I grew up with is all," I explained as I walked into the kitchen. "I knew I bought some while I was out," I thought aloud, searching through the upper cabinets. When I couldn't find what I was after I bent down to look through the lower cabinets. Just as I put my hand on the elusive jar, I heard him speak.

"I hope you don't find what you're looking for, Short-stuff. 'Cause I am _lovin'_ the view," he purred.

I stood up quickly and turned around. He snickered at my flustered reaction. "Too bad…" he nodded towards the jar in my hand.

 _"Do not let him know how much he affects you!"_ I internally reminded myself.

I walked calmly and sat myself back at the table. "You heading to the guild after this?" I inquired.

He wrenched a piece of iron off the group with his teeth. "Gonna go home quick and change first, but yeah," he said through loud chews. "You?"

I nodded my head at his question. "I think I'm gonna try and convince Jet and Droy to take a job outside of Magnolia. It's been a while since I've done any traveling."

He cocked an eyebrow at my statement. "You three are awfully close." Even though it was a statement, it felt like a question.

"We're just friends," I said quickly, too quickly. His eyebrow lowered as I continued. "I've known them both for a while now. They're the only ones that ever put up with someone like me on a job."

"Someone like you?" His eyebrows furrowed as he leaned back in his chair with a piece of toast hanging from him mouth.

I sighed and moved some eggs around on my plate. "Well, I'm not the best fighter. So on the more physical jobs, I can become a liability pretty quickly."

He popped the last bit of toast into his mouth and finished chewing. "Lemme ask you this: when you're out on jobs with those two, do they ever let you do any fighting?"

I cocked my head to the side in thought. "Not really. When things get hairy, they generally jump in before I get hurt. They really do watch out for me."

He nodded slowly at my words before pushing himself back from the table. I looked up at him as he stood. "Well Shrimp, we better get a move on if you want to take a job today."

I glanced at the clock on the stove. 9:36 A.M. blinked in little green letters. "You're probably right," I said as I collected our plates before walking them into the kitchen.

Gajeel followed with the remaining dishes and placed them on the counter next to the sink. I tried to turn around but he was blocking my way again. Without thinking I placed my hands on his chest and tried to push him back so I could escape. Not only was he built like a brick house, but he was also just as unyielding. I stomped my right foot on the ground when he let out a low chuckle.

"No need to get cheeky. I just wanted to ask if I could borrow these clothes for a little while longer," he said from above me.

 _"Should I? I'm going for it."_ If he was going to tease me, I was going to give it right back to him. I nibbled lightly on my lower lip and slowly raised my eyes upwards to meet his. "And if I said no?" I said as innocently as possible.

"Well alright then," he said as he stood to his full height. His thumbs tucked under the waistband on each side and he started to push down.

I waved my hands with fingers spread in front of my face. "No! Gajeel! I was just joking!"

His movements paused and he gave me a crooked smile. I could see the v of his hips clearly from how low he had pushed the boxers down. "You sure? They're your clothes after all," he said while pushing the article just a bit further down.

I broke his gaze and turned my head sideways to hide my blush. "Yes, I'm sure," I huffed. "Just put some damn clothes on you big tease."

He moved the clothing back to its original position and gave a deep chuckle as he turned to walk towards the pullout. "Ain't no way I'm the tease in this room."

I rolled my eyes. _"Total backfire,"_ I miffed. "I'm gonna change. Just leave the sheets in a pile in the corner, I'll take care of them." He grunted in understanding as he began to pull on his white dress pants.

Once back in the safety of my bedroom, I sat down on the bed and let out a shaky breath. Tapping my right hand to my right cheek gently a few times I pushed myself up and went to my closet to throw on an outfit.

I looked at my standard orange dress. For the first time in a long while I wanted to wear something different. I just wasn't feeling like the old standard. I ran my fingers along the row of clothing. I pulled out a sleeveless orange turtleneck sweater that stopped just above my navel. I paired it with a dark red min skirt. I ran into the bathroom to give myself the once over in the mirror. I completed the look with my blue headband to tie back my crazy locks. _"There!"_ I giggled to myself. _"Lucy would be proud of me!"_

When I walked back into the main room, Gajeel had already put the couch back to its original position and piled the sheets on one of the seat cushions. He was standing in his white dress pants held up by a simple belt. His sunglasses hung from the v of the white t-shirt and he held his hat and jacket in his right hand.

He looked like some sort of sexy fallen angel. He turned as I walked out from the bathroom. I could feel his eyes travel up my body and then back down, taking in all of me. He cleared his throat and said, "I like the new look, Shrimp."

I blushed. _"Again!"_ "Thanks," I replied. I just stood there, unsure of what to do next.

"Come on," he said walking towards me. "We should get going." As he walked past me, his hand lightly traveled to length of my arm, down to my hand, which he grabbed gently to pull me behind him.

I turned with him and when we reached the threshold, he broke the contact. I quickly threw on my red sandals and grabbed my small purse from the hook near the door. "After you," he smirked, holding the door open.

I smiled up at him and walked through as he followed on my heel. Before he let the door close all the way he said, "Got your key?" I nodded and he let the door shut, checking to make sure it locked behind him.

I started walking towards the door to the stairs and he grabbed onto my right wrist to stop my progress. "I don't think so, Shorty. Elevator," he nodded to the little alcove.

"Don't you love the planet, Gajeel?" I teased as I moved to stand next to him.

"I'll plant a tree," he said flatly, looking forward.

I laughed. I couldn't help it. He always seemed to have a response, no matter what. It was so ironic: all he did was make quips that left me completely tongue-tied.

The little bell chimed, signaling the arrival of the car. I smiled up at him and we walked forward. I turned around to push "1," but his hand stopped me. He stood there, with his hand on my wrist while the doors closed.

Before I could ask what was going on I found my back against the wall. His free hand was on the nape of my neck again, drawing me closer to him. He brushed his lips against mine. It wasn't a kiss, just a gentle caress that left me weak in the knees and wanting so much more.

"Thanks again, Levy, for letting me crash at your place and for breakfast. It was—" his lips brushed over mine again, before he continued, "delicious." He pressed his lips fully onto mine. I gave into his kiss quickly. I couldn't help it. I still couldn't get the images from my dream out of my head and I wasn't strong enough to refuse it in real life.

He let the clothes he was holding drop to the floor in favor of pulling me into his body closely. His hand descended down the small of my back slowly to rest on the top of my backside and he squeezed it the smallest amount. I moaned quietly and opened my mouth to deepen the kiss. He seized the opportunity and before I could prepare, his tongue was against mine. He circled his appendage around mine and I reveled in the feeling.

He pushed me further into the wall. He was heavy and his weight almost crushed me but it felt so good to feel such a powerful man against me. I raised my right leg slightly and his hand slid from my backside slowly to caress the underside of my thigh before I looped my foot behind his calf.

He pulled his lips back from mine and placed gentle kisses along my jaw line. When he was close to my ear he stopped and whispered slowly, accentuating each syllable, "Extremely delicious."

I heard his finger press the "1" button and I felt ourselves slowly start to descend.


	5. A Little Fun

. . .

He pulled his lips back from mine and placed gentle kisses along my jaw line. When he was close to my ear he stopped and whispered slowly, accentuating each syllable, "Extremely delicious."

I heard his finger press the "1" button and I felt ourselves slowly start to descend.

. . .

"See ya at the guild, Shrimp," he yelled over his shoulder as he headed towards his apartment.

"Yeah," I said, still in a daze from what happened in the elevator. "See you."

I stood there for a good couple of minutes, watching his form fade away in the distance. Once he was out of the area, I felt like I could finally breathe again. I took a deep breath and turned myself around to head towards the guild.

The guild was a little quieter this morning than usual. I looked around for some familiar faces and saw Lucy, sitting across from Natsu, at a table to the far left. Her hair was a frazzled mess and she looked all around exhausted. She was dressed in a loose fitting pair of black yoga pants and a pink tank that ended just above her navel. Her head was resting in her hands with elbows on the table.

Natsu was in his normal one-sleeved jacket and loose fitting pants. His head was resting fully on the table with his arms spread out in front of him.

"Hey, Lu!" I called out as I headed towards the table. She raised her head at the sound of her name. A look of shock washed over her features as she took in my new look.

"Well don't you look chipper," she sighed, putting her head back between her hands. I sat down next to her and rubbed her back lightly.

"What happened to you guys?" I inquired.

"So much pain," Natsu groaned, turning his head to the other side.

"Lu?"

She lifted her head again and moved to rest it against my shoulder. She let out a deep breath. "Mira, and then Erza. Way past midnight. Why did I have to be a slave?"

It was clear I wasn't going to get much in the way of answers from either of them. I smiled at her and said, "Do you want me to get you some breakfast?"

She gave me a dreamy look. "Would you? Mira…can't face her…" she trailed off.

 _"I don't know what happened after I ran away but I'm glad I wasn't there for it!"_ I thought to myself. I gave her another smile and walked over to the bar to order some breakfast for her and Natsu.

"Oh, and Mira." She looked at me with the most innocent smile. "I'll bring it over to them when it's ready," I added.

"Okay," she agreed with a nod. She turned around to start preparing the order.

 _"How is she acting like nothing happened when they seem scarred for life?"_ I wondered. I looked around the guildhall, trying to see if I could spot Jet and Droy. They didn't appear to be here yet, and Droy was pretty hard to miss these days. _"I suppose I could start looking at the board to see if there's a job that would be good for us."_

I hopped down from the stool on which I was sitting and headed towards the board. "Hey, Nab!" I said cheerily. He was deep in thought though, and didn't seem to hear me.

 _"Something not in Magnolia, with a good reward, that isn't too dangerous."_ I scanned the flyers in front of me. _"'XBlood KittenX needs a mage to exterminate a devil on a volcano for 30,000J'—I don't think so. Maybe this one: 'Ultra-Siou seeks mage with fortune telling abilities'—probably better for Cana. 'Suicuneluvr requests a mage to remove a spell from a cursed stick: 7000J—sounds like a Bickslow job. Oh! Here's something: ' Mskumiko24 requests assistance locating a lost magical bracelet of extreme value: 60,000J.' That sounds perfect. Even split three-ways, the pay would still be pretty good!"_

I plucked the flyer off the board and turned around to see if Jet and Droy had arrived yet. I noticed Lucy and Natsu's food sitting on the counter. I turned to see them still in the same positions at their table. I chuckled softly, tucking the flyer under my arm so I could grab both their plates. "Thanks, Mira!" I said cheerily. She cocked her head and smiled before returning to her work.

"Here you go guys!" I put the plates down in front of them. They both lifted their heads simultaneously and looked at the food with ravenous intent. "You're the best, Levy!" exclaimed Natsu before digging in.

"Yeah, we'll pay you back Levy. Thanks so much!" Lucy said before beginning to cut her pancakes.

"No worries, Lu." Movement at the door caught my eye and I saw Jet and Droy walk through the entrance. _"Perfect! I hope they're up for some work!"_

"Be right back guys," I said leaving the table. The two of them were too interested in their food to do more than hum in acknowledgement. "Jet! Droy!" I called out, as I walked towards them.

"Levy!" they both gushed and picked up their speed to meet me.

I met them in the middle of the aisle and pulled the flyer from underneath my arm, holding it up to show them. "Wanna take a job you guys?" I asked hopefully.

Their smiles faded a bit and they turned to look at each other. I lowered the flyer and frowned slightly. Jet's hand reached up to scratch the back of his head. "I'm sorry, Levy. It's just that I promised Lisanna I'd take a job with her."

"Oh, well that's okay, I guess," I said slowly, trying to brush off the rejection. "Droy, you can still go on a job, right?" I asked hopefully.

He looked down and kicked an imaginary stone with his right foot. "Erza and I are going on a job," he said quietly.

"What?!" I gasped.

As if announced, Erza strode up to the group and put her armored hand on Droy's shoulder. He winced at the contact. "That's right!" she projected. "Droy and I are going to get a fantastic work out in on this job, isn't that right?"

His eyes shifted nervously from side to side as he nodded his head. "Awe, don't be afraid, Droy!" she said, confidently. "Every job is another opportunity to find a great new form of exercise!" She started leading him away towards the entrance. "For instance, I remember this one repair job. The digging was truly an excellent workout routine. Gray did not approve of the uniform but, what does he know about fashion…" I heard her chuckle and saw Droy look back wistfully as she continued pushing him along by his shoulder.

"Sorry, Levy," Jet sighed. "Lisanna suggested we go on a job. She thinks my speed combined with her transformation magic could be a really good combination."

I shook my head side to side and gave him the best smile I could. "It's okay, Jet! I'm happy you and Lisanna are going on a job together! I'm sure you guys will make a great team!"

"Jet!" Lisanna's baby voice could be heard from behind us. Jet turned and the girl waved him over to her table.

"Okay, well…" he hesitated.

"It's fine, Jet. Go have fun!" I pushed on his arm to get him to move. He smiled weakly at me before turning around to go sit with Lisanna.

I tried not to visibly deflate in front of everyone. I looked down at the flyer sadly. _"Well, I don't think I should take this one by myself. The details say it may have been stolen by a band of thieves."_ I started walking towards the board to replace the job.

I kept reading over the flyer as I walked towards the board. _"Too bad—oomf!"_ I wasn't watching where I was going and I walked straight into a wall. I looked up from my new spot on the ground. _"Wait, that's not a wall…"_

"Hey! Watch where you're—" Gajeel turned around to see who had bumped into him. He had been looking at the request board when I smacked into his back. "The fuck?" He scrunched his eyebrows when he didn't see anyone there.

"Down here," I sighed.

He cast his eyes down at the sound of my voice and let out a burst of laughter. "No need to kneel in my presence, Shrimp. I just want to be considered one of the people." He smirked as he reached a hand out to help me up.

I rolled my eyes and grasped his forearm. He pulled with such strength and so suddenly that I overshot and barreled into his chest. His arms caught me as my face planted right above his stomach.

He chuckled at my predicament. "You're falling for me pretty hard, aren't you Short-stuff?" His strong hands grasped my shoulders and righted me so I was finally standing firm.

I let out an audible sigh, choosing to ignore his little comment. I felt eyes on the back of my head and I turned my head to the side and saw Mira, staring straight at us. She appeared to be drying a glass but had stopped working on her task. I linked eyes with her briefly before she looked away, a small smile forming on one side of her mouth.

 _"That was weird,"_ I thought. Gajeel cleared his throat and I turned my attention back to him. Or at least, what I could see of him from my position. He towered over me. I looked up to see his red eyes scrutinizing me. His dark locks were pulled back in a brown bandana. He had on a long, dark coat over a green tunic and khaki pants tucked into heavy combat boots. No matter what he was sporting, he always looked so amazing. _"Half the time his clothes are all shredded and he still looks good!"_

"Sorry. I—I didn't mean to run into you like that…Or fall on you," I stuttered.

His gaze lifted towards the bar, almost as if he were looking in Mira's direction. "What had you so lost in thought?" he asked, still looking a ways off.

I let out a breath. "I was just putting this flyer back, is all."

His eyes were back on me and he cocked his head to the side. "Why? Thought you said you wanted to take a job," he inquired.

"Yeah, I did." I couldn't help but deflate a little. "But Jet and Joy are both busy and I'm not strong enough to take this by myself." I side stepped him and held the flyer up on the board, looking for a tack.

His hand closed gently over my wrist and he tugged so I pulled the flyer back down. "I'll go with you on the job," he said flatly.

 _"I don't want to inconvenience him. He'll just end up doing all the work and that's not fair."_ I reasoned with myself. I tried to tug my wrist back up to the board without much success. I huffed slightly. "It's okay, Gajeel. I'll just take a translation job or something. I don't want to be a bother."

He scoffed at my words. "You ain't a bother. And it wasn't a question. Go tell the she-devil we're going on a job."

I looked up at him with wide eyes. "Really? You don't mind?"

He grunted and nodded towards the bar. I couldn't help the smile that crept across my face. "Thank you, Gajeel!" I turned and started running towards the bar. I took two steps before I stopped dead in my tracks. I turned around and ran back towards him. He looked at me with confusion on his face.

I strode right up to him, grabbed his shoulder and tugged down harshly. He willingly allowed me to pull him down and I planted a soft kiss on his cheek. I pulled back just a hair's breath and whispered, "you can be really sweet, you know that?"

I quickly turned around and ran over to the bar, leaving him stunned in that position by himself.

"Hello again, Mira!" I beamed. The barmaid turned and smiled sweetly.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" she asked as she walked towards me.

"I'm going on a job! Here!" I shoved the flyer out to where she could reach it.

"Well that's great!" she said, pulling the oversized record book from underneath the counter.

"Yeah!" I smiled, almost bouncing with excitement. I really had been cooped up in Magnolia for too long. I was antsy and wanted to get out. I never thought Gajeel would be the one to go with me though.

Realization hit me and I froze mid bounce. _"Wait—it's just going to be me, alone, with Gajeel, for several days."_ My mind stuttered as I tried to process the embarrassing truth. _"How am I going to do this? After spending one night with him, I couldn't even function! Oh jeez, that sounded so dirty."_

Mira watched me curiously but I was too lost in my internal ramblings to notice. "Hey Levy," her voice drew me out of my mind's woolgathering. I looked up from the counter to meet her gaze. "Would you mind grabbing me a few clean towels from the store room while I log this job? Kinana's off today and I've been pretty swamped."

"Sure!" I agreed, leaving the flyer with her. I was still so out of it that I didn't notice the glint in her eye as I turned towards the storeroom. "They're all the way in the back," she shouted after me. I gave her a thumbs-up as I continued my journey to the storeroom.

I finally reached my destination and opened the door to stare into the pitch-dark room. I started groping the wall in search of a light switch. "There it is!" I said to myself as I tried to switch. Nothing happened. "Oh come on," I huffed and gingerly walked into the room.

I felt my way along the shelves to try and get to the back. The room was quite large, judging by how my steps were echoing softly. _"She could have told me to bring a flashlight,"_ I internally chided Mira for her thoughtlessness.

When I finally reached the back wall, I heard voices from the other side of the room. _"Is that Gajeel?"_

"What is it you need me to reach?" he asked in a bored tone.

"Oh, it's just a heavy box on a high shelf in the storeroom." That was Mira's voice.

 _"Oh no!"_ I thought as realization dawned on me. _"It's a trap!"_

"Where is this box?" Gajeel grumbled.

"It's just through here," Mira said sweetly.

"Gajeel, don't—" I tried to warn him, but I was too late. The door closed us both in, taking the last bit of light from the hallway with it.

"What the fuck?" Gajeel said gruffly. "Oi! She-devil. Open the damn door!"

But I knew that Mira was long gone by then. _"She probably skipped her little ass back to the bar. Why the hell does she pull this crap?"_

"Gajeel," I said from my spot in the back of the room.

I heard his feet slide across the floor, as if shifting into a ready position. I heard his nose sniff the air a few times before he seemed to relax. "Shrimp?"

"Yeah, it's me," I sighed. "She got us. We'll be stuck in here for a while now. Until Mira decides to let us out or someone randomly opens the door." I leaned against the back shelves. _"I can't see a damn thing."_ "Where are you?"

"Right here," his voice was low and came from the spot right in front of me.

I jumped at the sudden intrusion. "How did you—"

"I'm the Iron _Shadow_ Dragonslayer, remember?" he said softly, with just enough cockiness in his voice to know he was smirking.

I clapped my hands together as realization dawned on me. "That's right! Gajeel!" I tugged on his sleeve. "Just transform into a shadow and go underneath the door. You can let us out!" _"Take that Mira! You underestimated us! Wait—us?"_

"I could do that, but then—" his breath was hot against my ear. "We'd lose the opportunity to have a little fun." He let out his signature laugh, before grabbing my earlobe roughly between his teeth.

He startled me. By this time you'd think I'd be used to it but he still surprised me with his bold moves. "Gajeel!" I gasped.

He let out a low hum as he let go of my ear. "I love it," he pressed a kiss on my jaw line, "when you," another just next to my chin, "scream my name." His lips pressed firmly onto mine and I found myself melting into his heat for the second time that day.

_"So, does this mean that he's into me? Like, this is the third time he's kissed me in a pretty short time frame. He wouldn't be doing that just to tease me, would he? It is Gajeel though. Maybe he—"_

A loss of contact broke my train of thought. His cheek brushed against mine and his lips caressed the shell of my ear. "Just let go. Stop thinking and just be free."

Be free. The words resonated with something deep inside me and I found myself wrapping my arms around his neck and roughly pulling him towards me. His lips crashed into mine and I could feel him smirk against me. I didn't care though. He was right—I wanted this. What woman wouldn't want to experience a man like Gajeel? I wasn't going to fight it any longer.

I ran my fingers through his thick mane and moaned as his tongue pushed into my mouth. I allowed him entry and relished the feeling of him completely dominating the kiss.

He pushed me further against the shelves so I was caged against his frame. One hand was on the back of my neck as the other started slowly traveling down the side of my body. The feeling of his fingers brushing the side of my breast, even over top my clothing, sent trills of pleasure straight into my core. I could feel how wet I was getting from just this short contact with him.

I moaned loudly, surprising myself. But it only served to spur him on. His hips ground into me and the friction had me craving so much more. His lips left mine and he started pressing firm kisses onto my neck. I stretched my head out to the side to give him better access and let out a shaky breath.

"Mmm, that feels so good," I hummed softly. _"Did I just say that out loud?"_

Upon hearing my words, I felt him smile against my skin and he began to suck. His tongue drew lazy circles over the area in his mouth and I moaned wantonly at the feeling. He let go of the skin and nipped at it lightly with his teeth, causing me to giggle.

He pulled back and looked at me. I could see his eyes shining in the dark room. Those intense red orbs were filled with such heat and I felt power in a way I never had before. The feeling came over me in a rush and I startled even myself when I quickly planted both hands on each of his pectorals and pushed with all my might.

A combination of my force and his surprise had him landing roughly on the ground. He grunted on impact but I didn't give him a chance to recover. I was on him in an instant. I straddled his hips with my legs and grabbed two fistfuls of his dark hair to pull him into a sitting position. He growled deeply as I crashed my lips onto his. His hands wound their way to my back and he caressed me as we deepened the kiss.

I was so lost at this point. There was no more thinking—just actions. And it felt amazing. I had never experienced a time where I wasn't analyzing everything. I could tell that Gajeel was going to become an addiction and I was strangely okay with it.

I rotated my hips forward and rubbed my core against him. He surprised me by breaking the kiss. I tried to catch breath I didn't know I needed and I watched him lift one corner of his mouth as he lowered himself so he was completely flat. His hands lifted to rest behind his head and he looked at me with those intense eyes. "Do it again," he said hoarsely. "I want to watch you."

 _"Holy fuck."_ My mind screamed. _"I am so dripping wet right now."_

I smiled and looked at him with half lidded eyes. I leaned forward and braced my hands on his chest. I let my lips just barely touch his earlobe and I darted my tongue out to lick his studs. "So you liked it when I did…" I ground my hips into him slowly. "This?"

He let out a feral growl and I pushed myself back up into a sitting position. Both of his hands slid up the front of my thighs until they rested themselves, one on each cheek. I gave him a sensuous smile and just as I was about to grind into him again a bright light suddenly blinded me.

"Natsu—I'm sure it's nothing, would you just—" It was Lucy's voice.

"I _told_ you, Luce! Dragon ears never lie!" That was Natsu.

I looked down at Gajeel, back up at Lucy, back down at Gajeel. _"Wait, where is Gajeel? Oh, please don't tell me this was another dream!"_

I shivered as what felt like a shadow wound it's way around me. I stayed frozen in place, still straddling a non-existing Gajeel, when I heard a low whisper in my ear. "Train station; 8 A.M. tomorrow." The shadow circled my entire body slowly, as if it were a boa constrictor and I was its prey. I shivered involuntarily and then the sensation was gone. I saw a dark form move past Lucy and Natsu's feet and out of the room.

"Levy, what-?" Lucy searched for the right words, but came up blank.

I looked straight ahead of me and my vision landed on a box with the word "Towels" written in sharpie.

_"Oh, fuck me."_

END CHAPTER 5

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Lovelies!
> 
> So I hope you like this chapter! There were a few moments writing this where I was like, "is this right?" but I think it turned out okay.
> 
> I hope you liked how I worked in some of the reviewers to the story! If anyone doesn't want their username in the story, just PM me and I'll remove it, no questions asked! ;)
> 
> Don't you all worry, we are absolutely getting to the REAL fun stuff. *Grins evilly*
> 
> Side note: I kind of hate Lisanna. Her voice annoys me. Which is weird because I've heard that voice actress in other animes and it doesn't bother me. So it must be the character. And also, Star Wars reference for those who caught it. All hail Admiral Ackbar. Can't wait to go see the new film.
> 
> Got to say I am pretty proud of myself for writing these chapters all in a row. I think I've had a lot of pent up creativity just waiting to let loose.
> 
> I really need to start going to bed earlier. It's 1am and by the time I proof this and post it, guaranteed it's going to be at least 1:30 if not later. But I do it for you guys! Because I love you! Can't you see that?! The chance to write dirty smut is just an added benefit. *Wink
> 
> I really do love you guys and I don't even know you. Your follows, favorites and reviews really make my day. I don't know about you but writing and reading smut makes me feel in tune with my sexuality and pretty powerful. I think if you're open enough to read erotica, you are a step above the rest.
> 
> Ok. I'm going to bed. Good night!
> 
> Musicera


	6. Suck with Passion

. . .

I shivered as what felt like a shadow wound it's way around me. I stayed frozen in place, still straddling a non-existing Gajeel, when I heard a low whisper in my ear. "Train station; 8 A.M. tomorrow." The shadow circled my entire body slowly, as if it were a boa constrictor and I was its prey. I shivered involuntarily and then the sensation was gone. I saw a dark form move past Lucy and Natsu's feet and out of the room.

"Levy, what-?" Lucy searched for the right words, but came up blank.

I looked straight ahead of me and my vision landed on a box with the word "Towels" written in sharpie.

" _Oh, fuck me."_

**. . .**

The three of us stood in awkward silence for who knows how long before Lucy finally spoke. "Did I just hear Gray call you a flame-tard?"

"That perverted ice princess!" Natsu shouted, storming off towards the main room.

Lucy let out a deep sigh and I pushed myself up to a shaky standing position. "So what the heck is going on with you two?" Lucy waggled her eyebrows a bit as I walked out of the storeroom.

I heard Mira's sweet humming from a little ways down the hallway and I titled my head back to look at the ceiling in exasperation. "Can we maybe chat at my place?" I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "The walls have ears," I looked down the hall and caught a flash of a pink skirt disappear out the doorway. "And they belong to Mira."

Lucy grabbed onto me quickly and I squawked in surprise. "Did you say Mira," she trembled, swinging me around like a rag doll, as she looked every direction. "Tell me she's not close by."

"Lucy!" I huffed, pushing against her arms before she made me dizzy. "You're gonna have to face her some day, you know. What did she do to you that has you acting like this?"

Her voice got quiet and she looked at me intently. "Today is not that day, Levy. Not that day..." her words trailed off.

I rolled my eyes. "Just meet me at my place in 30 okay? I gotta go check in with— someone—and make sure they logged the job and collect the flyer," I said, specifically avoiding saying Mira's name.

Lucy nodded her head in acknowledgement and pressed her back against the wall, sneaking slowly out into the main hall.

I looked up and shook my head, chuckling lightly to myself. " _Maybe it's better we were interrupted. I don't know how far things would have gone and I don't want my first time to be in a storeroom!"_ I reasoned with myself. " _Oh my mavis, stop thinking you and him are gonna—"_ Heat flooded my cheeks, and if I was being honest, other parts of my body at the thought.

I patted both side of my face with my hands while squeezing my eyes shut. When I finally felt ready to face the world again, I walked as confidently as I could into the main hall. I looked around, trying to spot Mira. " _She's gonna have some explaining to do!"_ She was standing back behind the bar. We made eye contact briefly and her eyes widened before she acted like she was looking for something underneath the counter.

" _Like that's gonna save her!"_ I thought as I bounded towards the bar.  
"Levy!" a baby voice filled my ears before Lisanna ran right into me.  
"Oh, hey Lisanna," I said, trying to look behind her at the bar so Mira didn't run off.

"My sister wanted me to give you this." She held a piece of paper up in front of my face, blocking my vision. I tried to focus my eyes and realized she was holding up the flyer.

"Thanks," I said, slowly taking the writing from her hands.

"So, I heard you were going on this job with Gajeel." She said it quietly, while looking down at her feet. It wasn't a question but I could sense the inquiry.

I directed my gaze down to the little white haired girl in front of me. " _Why does she care? Oh, no! Does she have a thing for Gajeel?"_ I tried to contain my panic and not let my mind run away from me.

"Yeah," I said slowly. "Why do you ask?"

"So then, you and Jet aren't..." her words fizzled out and a blush crept onto her cheeks.

My eyes widened in comprehension. "Nope, we aren't. And I'm _happy_ that you guys are going on a job together."

She lifted her gaze and gave me a big smile. "Thanks, Levy! Have fun on your job with Gajeel." A twinkle flashed in her eyes and she gave me a wink before running off to where Jet was sitting.

" _She's just like her sister. Her sister!"_ I looked around and saw that Mira was nowhere to be found. I looked up at the clock and realized I only had ten minutes to get back to my place before meeting Lucy. Considering how scared of Mira Lucy was at the moment, maybe it was better that I didn't confront her. It seemed like I didn't want to get on her bad side.

. . .

Ten minutes later found me opening the door to my apartment. I threw my purse on the hook and leaned down to take my sandals off. As I began to open the window, I heard a light knock at the door.

"Open up, Lev Lev! We wanna chat!" the sound of Cana's slurred speech traveled clear through the door.

" _Oh what the hell, Lucy? You brought Cana with you."_ I sighed and opened the door to let the girls in. The moment the door opened, I was accosted by Cana. She squeezed me in a tight hug and planted a wet kiss right on my cheek. "Congratulations, babe! You snagged one hell of a hunk!" She let go and plopped herself on my sofa, taking a swig from the wine jar she had with her.

I gave Lucy a "really?" look and she just shrugged and went to pull a kitchen chair into the sitting area.

Cana rubbed the couch cushion near her sensually and drawled, "Come sit by me, baby. I want to hear _all_ about your little rendezvous."

I rolled my eyes and went to gather the sheets that were still bundled up on the edge of the sofa. As I lifted them from their resting place to walk them towards the utility closet that housed my washer machine, Lucy cocked her eyebrow at me and spoke up. "What are those from, Levy?"

"Who ya got sleeping over?" Cana slurred.

"Jeez guys, I didn't expect this sort of Spanish Inquisition," I huffed, as I placed the sheets in the machine.

"Ha!" Cana let out a burst of laughter. "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!" She doubled over in a fit of laughter. Lucy's eyes widened in recognition.

"Cardinal! Read the charges," she giggled, getting up from the chair and throwing herself next to Cana on the couch.

"You are hereby charged with getting frisky with Fairy Tail's resident Iron Dragonslayer!" Cana shouted, in a fake shrill voice.

"Now! How do you plead?" Lucy looked at me intently.

I turned back around to look at the duo as they laughed diabolically. "I—wahhh?" I had no clue what was going on.

"We will soon change your mind about that!" Lucy jumped off from the couch and bounded right towards me. "Cardinal! The rack!" I looked at Cana but I shouldn't have, because when my eyes left Lucy, I quickly found myself immobilized. Lucy had snuck around me and had looped her arms through my elbows so I could no longer move. I struggled against her but she was one strong bitch.

Cana jumped up from her spot on the couch and headed towards me, with her arms outstretched. "Cardinal!" Lucy's voice was loud in my ear. "Give the rack a turn!"

Cana snickered and reached forward. My eyes widened further as I felt her hands press onto my chest and firmly squeeze my girls.

"What the hell?"

" _Was that Natsu's voice?"_

"I didn't know you were into the stuff Mira likes, Luce." Natsu said from his perch on the windowsill.

All three of us froze and I think I died from embarrassment. " _Oh my Mavis. This is going to get back to the guild, I just know it. Natsu is going to say something to Happy and that damn cat will whore out the best bits of information for the smallest of fish."_

I felt Lucy's grip on me loosen enough for me to wriggle myself free. Cana gave me one last squeeze and a saucy grin before she turned back to sit on the couch with her wine. "I can see why he likes ya, Lev Lev," she crooned in my direction.

"Natsu, what are you doing here? How do you even know where Levy lives?" Lucy asked, narrowing her eyes at Natsu.

"I can smell ya, Luce!" he responded, as if that were normal. "And I just wanted to see you."

Lucy blushed a furious shade of red and sputtered.

"Hey Levy," Natsu broke his gaze with Lucy to look at me. I was still standing in shock near the washer. My hand was resting against the closet door as I tried to process what was happening. I looked up to meet his stare. "Why does your apartment smell like Gajeel?"

My breath hitched in my throat. I hadn't told the girls that Gajeel had spent the night and I really wasn't planning on it. That would just invite too many questions and I just didn't think I could deal with all the questions.

Two sets of round eyes slowly turned towards me. "Oh my Mavis, Natsu. Why?" I said through the biggest sigh.

"What do you mean?" he responded innocently, cocking his head to the side.

"Natsu." I could hear Lucy get up and move towards the window. She gently pushed on his chest. "Why don't you go find a job we can take tomorrow? Us girls need to chat."

"Okay, Luce! I'll get us a good one!" He shouted over his shoulder as he climbed down from the window.

Lucy leaned out over the ledge to wave goodbye before closing the window. She stayed with her hands on the sill for just a second too long before she turned towards me. Her stare was intense. "Talk," she ordered.

I turned around to hide the flame that was deepening in my cheeks. I headed towards the kitchen to put some water on for tea. "There's nothing to talk about. You and Natsu saw everything that happened, for the most part," I explained.

"For the most part?" Cana cocked an eyebrow.

"How do you know what happened, Cana?" I turned in her direction.

"Strawberry-tits filled me in," she smirked into her wine bottle.

"Really, Cana?" Lucy grumped at the nickname.

"Really, Lucy?" I said almost at the same time, lightly stomping my foot.

"Oh, come on," Lucy said, throwing her hands up. "Cana is the best person to help with this stuff. She has the most experience out of all of us."

"Awe, thanks babe," Cana winked at Lucy.

" _Cana is so strange. Lucy basically calls her a slut and she takes it as a compliment." I laughed to myself._

"So what else has happened, little Levy?" Cana leaned up against the armrest of the couch, throwing me a flirtatious look. "Mama wants to hear all about it."

"Nothing, really," I said while removing the boiling water from the stove. I set three glasses out and put bags into each one. "After he carried me home yesterday, he crashed here cause it was late." I poured boiling water into each cup. "And then he kissed me, I had a wet dream about him, and then he kissed me again in the elevator." I winced. " _Crap, why did I just spill all of that? This is going to be a loongg conversation."_

"Sounds like he's got it bad for you!" Cana giggled, flipping herself so she was lying down on the full length of the couch.

"Maybe, I sighed," walking two teacups out to Cana and Lucy. "But what if he just likes teasing women, and I'm not the only one?" I voiced my internal concern before turning back to grab my own teacup.

I plopped myself down at the kitchen table and Lucy pushed Cana's feet up on the couch so she could sit.

"Nah," Cana said, pulling a small bottle from her bikini top and emptying its contents in to the tea. I rolled my eyes. "Gajeel's not that type of guy. I've got a pretty good jerk radar and I can tell. He's the type of guy who wants a woman to be completely his. I guess you would call him, the possessive type."

I quirked my lip in thought. " _I suppose that does make sense. He got really angry when those men were jeering at me and he wouldn't let me walk home alone."_

"Listen, babe. If you're beauty is going to be getting with his beast, you best prepare. Here," she pulled a little folded book from her back pocket and threw it my direction. I reached out hastily to grab it before it spilled my tea.

"Jack's Blowjob Lessons. Cana what the heck is this?" I scrunched my face on one side and frowned.

"That, my dear, is the secret to getting men to want you. I always have my choice of men because they always come back to me. And a large part of that is because of that book. Read it and you'll see," she swirled her spiked tea with her finger before taking a swig.

"Lucy?" I looked towards her, as if asking for backup.  
"Don't look at me," she exclaimed. "I want to read it after you're done with it!" I sighed and looked up at the ceiling. _"Why are all my friends such perverts?"_

"And what reason do you have for wanting to read something like that, missy?" You could tell by the way she asked that Cana already knew the answer. She just wanted Lucy to say it.

Lucy huffed at being called out. "A girl just wants to be prepared for when the time comes, is all!"

I jumped at the chance to get the focus off of me. "And just who are you trying to prepare for, huh Lu?"

"No one!" she said defensively. Cana and I gave each other a knowing look. "Besides, we're here to talk about you and the dry humping I caught you doing to Gajeel earlier today!"

"Do we have to?" I whined.

They both gave me flat looks and nodded their heads vehemently.

" _You horny bitches,"_ I chuckled internally.

"Fine." I had accepted my fate. "So the first time he put his hand on my ass..."

. . .

"Have fun with that book, Levy." Cana waggled her eyebrows at me as she walked through my door. "Can't wait to hear all about your grand adventure with Mr. Iron Rod when you get back." She stopped her forward progression and added, "and Mr. Iron's rod for that matter!"

I sucked my lips in and opened my eyes wide at the perverted comment. Lucy just chuckled and pushed Cana on the back so she could walk out the door. "Let me know when you get back okay, Levy?" I nodded in agreement. "And make sure you pass that book on to me when you're done with it," she said under her breath.

"Good bye, Lu. Good bye Cana," I sang, closing the door on the pair. I learned my back against the door and let out a long sigh.

"So Lucy, tell me about you and Natsu." I heard Cana drawl as they moved down the hallway towards the elevator.

I shook my head and laughed. " _Serves you right, Lucy! Good luck dealing with an even drunker Cana on the way home!"_

I headed towards the kitchen table to clean up and saw the book staring up at me. " _Oh what the hell. It's worth a shot."_ I surprised even myself at my willingness to read something so racy.

Once the dishes were put away and the lights were shut off, I changed into my chemise and tucked myself under the covers. Grabbing the book from where I had placed it on my nightstand I began to read.

Two hours later found me finished with the book. My cheeks were no doubt bright red and I'll admit I was feeling extremely turned on. It's hard not to when you're reading a book blatantly talking about how to suck a man's cock. And it didn't help that I kept imagining it as Gajeel's.

Despite my flustered state, I was truly thankful to Cana for lending me this book. No one ever teaches you how to give a good blowjob and I'd never given one before. I was confident that, when or if the time came, I'd be the best he'd ever had. " _Ha! When the time came. Hilarious."_

I looked at the clock next to my bed. 10:46 P.M. I put the book on the nightstand, catching the text of the back cover. "Suck with passion. Be the one," it read. I giggled like a schoolgirl and turned out the light _. "I have a feeling that this is going to be a fun job!"_

. . .

That next morning I was at the train station by 7:50. I looked around, tapping my foot absentmindedly on the ground, waiting for Gajeel to arrive. I opted for a pair of white capris and an orange tank that was just a bit see-through. I wore a bright yellow bandeau bra that popped underneath the shirt. I carried a small bag with me of extra clothes and toiletries. I wasn't sure how long this job was going to take and I wanted to be prepared—but not over prepared.

Time seemed to drag as I waited for Gajeel. I tried looking over the crowd but I just wasn't tall enough. I looked up at the large clock at the front of the station. " _7:53. I hope he shows up soon. The train leaves at 8!"_

As if on cue, something caused me to shiver and I looked down to see a shadow curling its way up my body. Before I could gasp, Gajeel materialized with his arm around my shoulders. "Come on, Shrimp," he said into my ear. "We're gonna miss the train if you keep standing around," he said as he led me towards the platform.

" _Really? Already?"_

He broke the contact as we started walking. He was a few paces ahead of me, so I could see him clearly. His mane was free today and he had on his standard iron studded sleeveless jacket. Loose fitting khakis tucked into his combat boots covered his lower half and iron studded cut off gloves completed the look. " _He looks so...feral,"_ I mused internally.

When we approached the train, I started to climb onto one of the entrances and he grabbed my hand and pulled me with him. I stumbled but managed to keep my footing. He looked down at me with those piercing eyes and let out a small chuckle. "If you keep tripping all over yourself, I'm gonna have to carry you again."

I huffed indignantly. "You wouldn't dare."

He stopped dead in his tracks and I slowed my steps to look up at him. " _Oh, crap! I_ _shouldn't have said that!"_ I internally reprimanded myself.

"Let no man say I ever turned down a dare," he said still facing forward. Before I had the chance to start running, he turned on his heel and lifted me roughly onto his shoulder. Once again his hand was on my ass and I was staring at the concrete.

"Gajeel!" I pounded lightly on his back with my fists. "Put me down!"

"A dare's a dare, Shrimp," he laughed. He picked up the bag I had dropped and started walking towards the end of the train. "Now, be a good girl and stop hitting me." As he said the words he gave my rump a light slap. I gasped at the contact and blushed intensely.

"Gajeel! We're in public," I huffed, trying my best to look around from my position to see if anyone had seen us.

He let out a small hum and shrugged his shoulders, as if to say he could care less. It felt like we had been walking forever and I finally spoke up. "Where are we going?"

"Got us a car to ourselves in the back. The train operator reserves a special spot for Dragonslayers given our," he hesitated, "condition. Here we are." I felt him grab firmly onto my backside as he lifted us up the stairs and onto the train.

I saw the floor material change to signal we were finally in our car. Gajeel just stood there, with me still on his shoulder before I finally spoke up. "Gajeel. Would you please put me down now?"

"Is the dare over, then?" he teased.

I huffed and tried pushing myself off his shoulder, using his back as leverage.

"Keep wiggling like that, Shrimp and you won't be going anywhere fast." He let out his signature laugh. He grabbed both of my hips firmly and ever so slowly, lowered me to the ground. He kept me close the entire time so the entire length of my body rubbed against him. When my feet touched the ground, he grabbed my chin firmly with one hand. "I just love seeing you blush," he husked. Just as he was about to press his lips on mine, the train lurched into motion and he grimaced and clutched his stomach.

I used the opportunity to close the door to our compartment and pull the curtain shut. " _No sense in letting anyone see a sick Gajeel."_

I turned back around to see Gajeel sitting on the small sofa bench with his legs stretched out wide in front of him. Our compartment wasn't overly grandiose but it was nice. Gajeel was currently sprawled out on the red tufted sofa bench that took up one side of the car. A collapsible table was tucked against the wall and another small bench was folded opposite Gajeel's so people could sit facing one another.

"Levy," he moaned weakly. "Help me."

I took the few steps to where he was and sat beside him. I turned on the bench, putting one knee up at an angle so I could look at him. "What do you think I can do? I'm not Wendy. I don't have any healing magic," I said apologetically.

"Just do something to take my mind off the pain, would you?" he pleaded.

I looked around nervously. There was one window on the far wall and the shade was pulled. We were moving at a fast enough speed now and I heard Gajeel moan again.

" _Distract him? What could I do to distract hi—"_ An incredibly dirty thought popped into my head. " _I don't know if I should. If I do will he respect me? What if I mess up?"_ The familiar battle started waging inside my head.

"Leeevvyyy," he groaned. His use of my real name jolted me out of my internal bickering. He looked at me with pleading eyes.

I steeled my reserve and thought back to the afternoon before. It had felt so good just to experience him that little bit. I wanted this to continue. No—that was wrong. I needed this to continue.

" _Plus, I've got this new skill to test out. Might as well make the most of it! OMG Cana is going to be so proud of me,"_ I snickered slightly and turned to face Gajeel.

I leaned in to him closely and breathed deep his metallic scent. I let it wash over me and tried to clear my brain of all thought and distraction. "Close your eyes," I said as sensually as I could.

For once, he didn't argue. I gently lifted my left leg over his lap so I was straddling him. His hands immediately wound their way to my ass and he groaned as he tilted his head back.

I smirked and kissed along his jaw line before placing my lips on his. I moaned softly as he tried to take control of the kiss. His one hand squeezed my rear firmly while the other slowly ascended to my neck, caressing me with gentle fingers on its entire journey.

I ground myself against him, pushing my core into his. He let out a groan and broke the contact of our kiss to lean his head back against the cushion. "Shit, Shrimp. You're so fucking sexy when you get like this."

My movements stilled for a moment. That was the first time anyone had ever called me sexy. It made me feel powerful and gave me renewed confidence in what I was about to do.

I continued to grind against him and I felt his manhood start to come alive beneath me. He opened his eyes to look at me. "Nuh-uh," I chided. "Eyes closed. This patient's just going to have to trust his nurse." The words were out of my mouth before I could even dwell on how kinky I was being.

He closed his eyes and rested his head against the cushion again. "Shit..." he breathed out.

I slowly started to travel down his body with my lips. I pressed a kiss against his neck and reveled in the shiver I caused. My hands moved down to caress his chest before moving further to unhook his belt.

"Levy—" he started to tense.

"Just relax," I whispered smoothly against his cheek. "I'm going to make you feel all better."

My words had the desired effect and his muscles unclenched. I trailed my fingers along the seam of his jacket, before grabbing each side and popping the rivets open. My mouth watered at the site of his sculpted body. I allowed my fingers to trace the outside lines of each muscle.

" _He's so damn built."_ I tried to process how this gorgeous hulk of a man was sitting there, allowing me to take control but my brain was too far gone.

I slowly moved off his lap to kneel between his outstretched legs. He looked as if he was going to open his eyes again. "No peeking," I drawled.

I popped the button on his pants and slowly slid his zipper down. His pants were loose enough that I had plenty of room to work with. He was wearing a dark pair of boxer briefs underneath. I trailed my fingers up and then down his clothed shaft. He visibly shuddered at the contact.

" _Lesson One,"_ I recalled to myself, " _Love that dick."_

I grasped the band of his briefs with my hands and pulled down slowly to reveal his awaiting manhood. It was resting and ready against his lower abdomen and I licked my lips in anticipation. It was just as I imagined it. A beautiful thick cock with a perfectly flared head. He was fully erect at this point and I internally cheered at my ability to turn a man like Gajeel on.

"Oh, Gajeel," I moaned his name. "It's amazing!" At the sound of his name, he opened his eyes and looked down at me. With lidded eyes, glazed over by lust, I looked up at him and softly spoke: "Please tell me I can taste you."

His jaw dropped open just a little before he let out a wanton moan. "Fucking hell, Levy," he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "Please do..." It was a whisper on his lips.

I took his tool in my hand and pumped him a few times. I raised myself up on my knees and just before I covered his head with my lips I said softly, "Gajeel." He opened his eyes and looked down at me. "I want you to watch me love your cock."

"Shit..." he gasped.

" _Lesson two: techniques."_

I didn't know how I was doing this but truth be told, I didn't really care. This was the first time I had done something like this and I was loving the way it made me feel. I could see the passion in his eyes and I could feel the dampness between my thighs. I felt like Aphrodite.

He groaned as I finally drew him into my mouth. With one hand at the bottom of his shaft, I pushed him in deeper before returning to the starting position. When I reached the top, I licked all around his head, as if it were the best tasting lollipop I had ever had. I repeated the motion, pumping the area I couldn't reach in tune with my movements.

His eyes were wide and he was moaning almost continuously. His hands were clenching and unclenching at his sides as he watched me work.

I lifted myself back up to the top and brought his foreskin up over his head. I pushed my tongue into the space that it created and circled his head under the skin.

"Fuck, oh god Levy," he gasped, throwing his head back. One hand came up and threaded its fingers through my locks.

I could tell that he was getting close. " _Time to pull out the big guns."_

I reached out with my other hand and gently took hold of his sack. I continued to pump with my head as I began moving my fingers up and down around his balls.

When he was sufficiently out of his mind with pleasure, I lifted the back of my throat and took as much of him in me as I could. He gasped loudly and his other hand came up to push on the back of my head.

Before I could feel my gag reflex start to kick in, I slowly pulled him out of my mouth, making small circles with my head as I did so. My lips popped off his head with a gasp and I met his gaze with lust in my eyes.

"Gajeel," I barely spoke. "I need you to come so I can taste you." The moment the words left my lips, I licked the underside of his head while still keeping eye contact.

"Fuck," was all he managed to get out.

I pushed my tongue out of my mouth and let his flared head rest on it as I began to pump him furiously. His eyes rolled in the back of his head as he alternated between throwing his head back to opening his eyes and watching my movements.

I let out a low hum, as if in anticipation. My other hand rested on his thigh and I could feel his muscles clenching in impending release. And I was ready to take everything he gave me. Seeing him so turned on from what I was doing gave me an unbelievable amount of pleasure.

Within seconds, his entire body tensed and he pushed my head down onto his shaft. I felt his hot seed hit the back of my throat and I moaned as if it was the best thing I'd ever tasted.

His cock pulsed in my mouth and I matched my speed to it as I gently bobbed my head the last few times. Before I let his beautiful dick go, I gave his head one more swirl and then licked it for good measure after releasing it.

I was still holding his softening rod in my hand as he looked down at me. I smiled up at him and said, "Thanks for the meal. It was—" I lifted one corner of my mouth in a crooked smile, "Extremely delicious."

"Holy fuck."

END CHAPTER 6

. . .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Lovelies!
> 
> Hotttt enough for you? Had to make up for the last few chapters being mostly fluff. I hope this does it for you. Tehehe.
> 
> So Jack's Blowjob Lessons is an actual ebook! And it's amazing! Seriously! I'm not saying you should buy it because I'm not an advertiser but let's just say that I have it and once I got it, my husband loved me that much more. *Wink.
> 
> The author (Jack, clearly) writes it in this super cocky tone but seriously—he's writing a book about giving head, what other type of tone are you going to take. But reading it is truly mind altering. I highly recommend it. Let's just say that I was not super into that before I read this book. Things have definitely changed.
> 
> Also, the little episode between Cana, Levy and Lucy is based off Monty Python's Spanish Inquisition skit. Oh, you haven't seen it? Stop reading this and go watch it now. Go. Seriously. I'm not writing anything else until you watch it.
> 
> Welcome back! Hilarious right? Consider yourself more cultured for having watched that. You're welcome. *Wink.
> 
> I'm sorry I didn't update this last night per my usual schedule. In my defense I was up until 1:30 trying to post it and the site was being stupid. And it was still being stupid this morning but I finally got it to work. See how much I love you and try for you?!
> 
> Love you all! I read every single one of your reviews and they all make me grin like an idiot. KISSES!
> 
> Musicera
> 
> *There can only be one...owner of Fairy Tail. And this chick isn't it.


	7. The Plot Thickens

. . .

I was still holding his softening rod in my hand as he looked down at me. I smiled up at him and said, "Thanks for the meal. It was—" I lifted one corner of my mouth in a crooked smile, "Extremely delicious."

"Holy fuck."

. . .

I giggled innocently as I tucked Gajeel's shaft back into his boxer briefs. "I'm so glad you liked it," I said as I zipped and buttoned his pants back up.

He let his head fall back against the cushion and closed his eyes. I lifted myself from my kneeling position, straddling him once again so I could close the snaps on his jacket.

"Shit, Shrimp. I don't think 'likes' a strong enough word. Try the best fucking blowjob I've ever fucking had…" his voice trailed off and he let out a low hum.

 _"He's ever had…"_ I can't say I expected Gajeel to be a blushing virgin. I knew he had a past and plus, with a body like his, I'm sure women were constantly fawning over him. It was just a little tough to hear him voice that fact.

I shook my head from side to side to clear away the jealous thoughts. _"I have nothing to worry about. I just need to trust in myself and be confident. He's into_ me _for a reason._ "

He cracked his eyes open from where he was resting his head and gave me a tired, but completely satisfied look. He lifted his head and grabbed the back of my neck gently with one hand. He drew me in close and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead, another one on my lips, then on my jaw before he finally whispered in my ear, "Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?"

His sweet words had me blushing. He let his fingers trail down my neck and shoulder before coming to a rest on my thigh. He leaned his head back and sighed, "I totally lose my shit when I'm around you."

I'd never heard Gajeel be so open and honest. His words did nothing to calm the tidal wave between my thighs. I tried to take deep breaths to calm myself down. I knew he was in no shape to reciprocate, given his motion sickness.

 _"Besides,"_ I reasoned. _"When he returns the favor, I want him performing at his peak. Oh my god, I'm turning into Cana."_

I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before I climbed off his lap. He grabbed my hands as I headed for the door to our compartment. He opened his eyes and flashed me a look of concern. "Where are you going? Don't leave."

His face was so endearing and I took it all in, reveling in how I was able to break down the walls of a man of such power, even if only for a short amount of time.

I smiled sweetly at him. "I'm just going to go freshen up in the bathroom. I'll be right back," I said, turning towards the door again.

I felt another tug on my hand. "Promise?" His eyes had a pleading quality to them, almost as if he was afraid I would disappear.

I gave him a look of complete sincerity before coming back to sit next to him. I placed a kiss on his forehead. "I promise. Just relax and I'll be back before you know it."

He closed his eyes and laid his head back. I smiled and quietly exited the compartment. Once outside, the noises of real life brought me back to reality. I leaned back against the compartment door and took a deep breath. I couldn't help the smile that crept across my face.

 _"I can't believe I did something like that! And got away with it! Oh my god what if someone had walked in on us? I'd be mortified. I hadn't even thought of that!"_ I realized that my addiction to Gajeel was starting to cloud my better judgment. _"Got to be more careful next time,"_ I vowed as I pushed myself off the door and headed towards the bathroom.

After cleaning up from my bout with Gajeel, I headed towards the snack car. We had a few hours left to go on this train and I figured we might need to eat lunch at some point. I grabbed us three sandwiches—two for Gajeel and one for me—a bag of chips and water to share.

"All set?" the clerk asked, as I set the pile on the counter. "Yep!" I responded cheerily, grabbing a tin of mints and putting them on top.

On my walk back to the compartment, I popped a mint. It's not that he tasted bad, but it was nice to feel the flavor of the mint in my mouth. I opened the compartment door to find Gajeel sprawled out on the sofa bench. He appeared to be sleeping as I popped the little table up to place our food down for later.

He cracked an eye open and watched me. When I turned around, I jumped, not realizing he was awake. "I thought you were asleep," I said, lowering my hand from where it had risen to my chest.

"Nah, just waiting for you, Shrimp. Come here," he lifted his arm wide and moved back on the sofa to signal me to come lay down in his embrace.

I blushed and looked down at the floor. "Gajeel I—"

"Don't act all shy and innocent after _that_ ," he scoffed. "Get over here and cuddle."

I shrugged my shoulders. _"I suppose he does have a point."_

I laid my small frame next to his giant one and sighed as he wrapped his arm around my waist. His nuzzled his nose into my hair and breathed my scent in. I opened my mouth to ask what he was doing, smelling me like that, but before I could, he spoke. "Shhh. Just relax, Shrimp. Just let me hold you like this." A few seconds went by before he added, "You smell amazing, you know that?"

 _"He thinks I smell amazing?"_ I smiled to myself internally. Maybe he was really just into me, like Cana thought.

His words were quiet against my hair. "I'm a little out of it right now. But if you'll let me, I'll repay everything you gave me with interest this evening."

 _"Holy Mavis, that's hot."_ I gulped and tried to get the images of me climaxing around his fingers in the shower out of my head. I so wanted him. But I didn't want him to know that. I turned my head so I could catch the corner of his gaze. His stare was intense and full of lust. I smirked and whispered, "We'll see when the time comes."

His red gaze didn't flicker and he raised one corner of his mouth. His breath was hot on my ear and he hummed softly. "Tonight I'll show you just what it means when it's time to come." He grabbed the lobe of my ear and swiped it a few times with his tongue.

I shuddered at the sensations his words and actions caused. He growled low into my ear before letting out his signature laugh. I turned my head back around and squeezed my eyes shut. _"What have I gotten myself into?"_

. . .

A few hours later found us completely asleep in one another's arms. I sharp rap on the door to our compartment had us both rousing from our sleep. Although, Gajeel's version of waking up was clutching me tightly and scanning the room before finally relaxing and let me go. I sat up and stretched arms wide above my head.

"Next stop, Oshibana!" The announcement was loud over the speaker.

"Gajeel," I said, shaking his leg lightly. "Quick, that's us!" I hopped off my seat and started to gather our things. I realized we hadn't eaten our lunches. _"I suppose we can eat them on our walk over. I doubt Gajeel would be able to eat much while on the train, anyways,"_ I realized.

Gajeel grumbled before swinging his legs down. He grabbed our bags from where I stacked them on the floor and started walking towards the compartment door. He cocked his head over his shoulder as if to signal me to follow him. I grabbed the bag of food, giving the compartment the once-over to make sure we didn't leave anything behind before following on his heel.

Once off the train, he put our bags down and stretched his arms wide above his head. He took a deep breath before saying, "While that was the best train ride of my life," he stopped and gave me a knowing smirk (at which I blushed, obviously) "I am glad to be off that moving death trap."

I rolled my eyes and chuckled softly. _"Silly Gajeel._ "

I took a look at the flyer and got our bearings from a map of the town on the platform. I was happy to see that the station had been restored to its former glory after that whole Eisenwald incident. _"For once, it wasn't Team Natsu's fault for destroying the town!"_ I laughed to myself. _"Poor Lu."_

"The address from the flyer is in the Northwest corner of the town," I explained to Gajeel. He nodded as we started walking in that direction. I pulled the sandwiches out of the bag and he looked down at me with wide eyes as I handed him one. "I grabbed us some lunch on the train. Figured you might be hungry once we got off."

"Beauty _and_ brains," he grinned at me, taking a bite from the sandwich. I smiled and cast my gaze on the ground in front of me before pulling out my own meal. He really did know just what to say to turn me into a puddle of mush.

We walked in relative silence, munching on our food. Gajeel saved me the last sip of water from the bottle and I found a trashcan to relieve myself of the wrappings. When I turned back to him, I looked briefly at the street signs. "That's First Street," I thought aloud. "And there's main!" I pointed at the intersecting street. "Which means the house should be—" Words left my mouth as I looked up at the residence in front of us.

It was truly a sight to behold. Stone walls encased it on each side with an arched gate blocking our path. A look through the bars revealed a large brick manor. On one side was a beautiful turret with a slate steeple roof. Windows encased the structure on all sides. Stone steps led to the front door and a small balcony sat atop the entrance. A majority of the house was covered in vines, which gave it a wonderful, historic feel. The grounds were beautiful, covered in flowering bushes that were the perfect balance of maintenance and letting nature run its course.

"How beautiful!" I said in awe.

"Come on, Shrimp," Gajeel said, grabbing onto my wrist gently. "We should meet with the client before it gets too late."

"Right," I said, pulling myself out of my reverie. I allowed Gajeel's hand to pull me by the wrist as we approached the gate. A buzzer was on the right hand side and I pressed it. A woman's voice sounded on the other end, "Who is it?" she asked sweetly.

"Good afternoon ma'am. We are the two wizards you requested from Fairy Tail," I replied sweetly.

"Oh, yes! Just a moment my dear," she said before the gate buzzed open and we walked through, together.

I followed Gajeel up the steps to the large oak door. Gajeel raised his right hand to knock but before he could, the door opened and a young looking girl with brown hair and red, square glasses greeted us. She had a yellow printed shirt on and a simple pair of jeans. She couldn't have been much older than fourteen.

"Hello," she smiled. Her gaze faltered as she looked at Gajeel's gruff appearance but she recovered her smile and said, "My grandmother will see you in the parlor, if you'd follow me."

Gajeel grunted at the same time that I told her "thank you," and we followed close behind her. The house had a wonderful warm feeling to it. We walked across the hardwood floors of the entrance before turning left.

Upon turning, we came upon a sitting area, tucked against the large bay window of the turret's lower level. An elderly woman in a simple purple dress was sitting in the middle of a white cushioned sofa. A coffee table with three teacups and a pot were sitting on the small table in front of her and two wing back chairs were angled on the other side. A plush yellow rug provided relief from the coldness of the floors.

"Please join me and have a seat," the woman spoke up and gestured towards the two chairs opposite her. I smiled at her before moving towards the far chair. As I sat down, I noticed how cozy it was and I smiled sweetly at the woman in thanks.

I turned to look at Gajeel. He had opted to sit on the edge of his chair and brace his elbows on his knees. _"Typical Gajeel. Always in the ready position,"_ I giggled internally.

"Thank you, Melinda. I'll take care of things from here," the woman spoke to the younger girl.

"Yes, Grandmother," she responded before heading out of the room.

The woman began to pour tea from the pot into each cup. "I really am lucky to have such a wonderful granddaughter," the woman spoke. "Sugar?" she lifted her head to look at me.

I smiled sweetly and responded, "Yes, please," before taking the prepared cup from her.

"And how about you," she chuckled lightly as she took in all of Gajeel's rugged appearance. "You don't look like the type of man that takes sugar in his tea."

Gajeel let out a low chuckle before taking the outstretched cup from the woman. "Got me there."

The woman laughed lightly before bringing her own cup to her lips. Her eyes moved from Gajeel, then to me before she said, "You two make the most interesting couple."

The hot tea caught in my throat briefly and I coughed a bit. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Gajeel, grinning like an idiot, watching me suffer through my embarrassment.

_"Oh, jeez. I don't even know how to respond to that. Are we a couple? We definitely haven't made anything official. I don't even know if that's what he wants or if he just wants to have some fun. Ugh this is all so confusing! I wish I could just figure all this out!"_

My internal ramblings must have given me that far off look because Gajeel cleared his throat and evenly responded, "Thank you, ma'am. Now we heard a magical bracelet of yours was stolen?"

_"Thank you? He didn't refute it? What does that mean? Okay, Levy. You can worry about this later. For now, you really need to concentrate on this job."_

I took another sip of tea to try and clear the fog from my brain and concentrated intently on what the woman was about to say.

"Yes, that is correct. Thank goodness my granddaughter and I were out when it happened. We don't really have a way to defend ourselves if they had attacked while we were in the house," she explained.

"Would you mind telling us what this bracelet does and giving us a description of what it looks like," Gajeel inquired.

I quickly pulled a pad out of my purse so I could jot down some notes, but there really was no need. The woman grabbed a photograph and a slip of paper that were resting on the coffee table and handed the documents to Gajeel. He leaned forward to take the pieces of paper before she spoke.

"That is a photograph of the bracelet. The bracelet itself is very rare and very valuable. Not all of us know how to use magic like you two. However, a great many devices work off of magic power. That bracelet draws magical energy from the wearer and allow them to power different devices. Things like lacrimavisions and the like," she explained before taking another sip of her tea.

"Oh, I see. It's like an SE plug but for people who cannot use magic," I exclaimed.

"That's right," the woman nodded her head, putting her empty cup back on the coffee table.

"Wow, that is really rare." I reached over to grab the photo from Gajeel to study it. "If you don't mind me asking, ma'am, why do you have a photograph like this of the bracelet?"

It seemed to be a professional photo and I thought it strange that someone would take a picture of her jewelry like that.

"Well, you see. We were in the works to sell the bracelet. I am getting older and have very little use for it any longer. I was originally going to pass it down to Melinda, however she has shown signs of being able to use magic, so she has no need of it," the woman made clear.

I nodded my head before turning to look at Gajeel. He was staring down at a slip of paper that had a black mark on it. It had clearly been scrunched up and then smoothed out from the wrinkles in the parchment. He turned his gaze to the woman. "So what's this here?"

"We found that in the house after the intrusion. I don't know if they meant to leave it behind or if it was left by accident but I thought you two might be able to use it as a clue to help you figure out who took the bracelet."

Gajeel turned to give me the piece of paper and I met his gaze briefly. I gave him a small smile before taking the paper from his hands. On the center of the paper was a circle, surrounded by four crescent-like shapes. Two were thin on opposite sides and the remaining two were thicker and had a wave to their top line.

"I know this mark," I blurted out. "It's the Sylph Labrynith's mark. They're a treasure hunting guild."

"And I think I've got an idea about where to start looking," finished Gajeel. "If there's nothing else in the way of information ma'am, we'll take our leave and start our work," Gajeel said, placing his finished teacup on the small table. "I'd estimate it will take us a few days to track down the thieves and recover the item, but if it should take longer, we will send you a written update."

Gajeel looked like he was about to stand but before he could, I motioned for him to stay seated. "If you don't mind, ma'am, the first thing I'd like to do is write some runes around your house. If you and your granddaughter or your house, for that matter, have been targeted, we do not want the thieves to return. I can write runes around the place so that anyone with ill intention towards you, your granddaughter, or your residence, will not be able to enter. Unless they are a mage that knows how to disable them, it should give you some extra comfort in your residence."

"That is incredibly generous of you, my dear. And I won't be foolish enough to refuse your offer. Thank you!" The woman seemed genuinely grateful and somewhat relieved.

"Great!" I replied. "I will stop over first thing in the morning to begin work."

. . .

After saying our goodbyes to the woman, we took our leave from the house and walked back into the main area of town. "I suppose we should look for a hotel so we can book rooms," I sighed. That was always the worst part to jobs. Paying for hotels could really cut into the payout.

"I know a place," Gajeel said without breaking his stride. He cocked his head to the side and threw me a cocky grin. "And what's this business about rooms plural?"

I felt blood flood my cheeks. "Gajeel! It'd be inappropriate for us to share a room," I huffed, trying to keep up with his long strides.

"I ain't wasting all the jewel we make on this job to pay for an extra room for no reason. Besides," he slowed his movements to look at me, "You don't _really_ want separate rooms. That would ruin _all_ the fun." The words dripped off his tongue.

My eyes widened and he let out his signature laugh. He wrapped one arm around my shoulder and gave me a squeeze before lowering it and giving my backside a smack. I squeaked and jumped forward a bit.

"Come on then, Shrimp. I've got some plans for tonight." He raised one eyebrow as he said it before grabbing my hand and picking up his fast pace. "Keep up otherwise I'll be forced to carry you again," he chuckled.

"You—" I stopped myself before I could get myself in trouble.

 _"Stupid Gajeel,"_ I thought as I ran to catch up to him.

END CHAPTER 7

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Lovelies!
> 
> Okay so I'm really sorry that this chapter doesn't have any smut and is mostly fluff. Like, I really am truly, deeply sorry for that. I know that's why most of you are reading this story. My dirty perverts. *Wink.
> 
> Having said that, I needed to set some things up plot wise so we could return to sexay time. While I am all about the smut, I'm still trying to be classy here! Seriously, who am I kidding lol.
> 
> So before some of you tap out for lack of M material, let me tell you, the MAJORITY of this story will still be smut. I promise I will not turn this story into an "adventure tale." God that shit annoys me. Like when you start reading a story that is incredibly sexual and delicious and then the characters finally do the deed and then never do it again. No. I will not get rid of the fun sexual energy.
> 
> And neither should you! Keep that sexual tension energy alive in your own relationships! I promise you, keeping that playful attitude with one another is part of the foundation that makes a very successful, fulfilling relationship.
> 
> There WILL be smutttt next chapter. And I really was going to put it in this chapter but it was already over 3,500 words and I wanted to get this out to you so you had something to read.
> 
> I'm hoping I can keep my writing schedule up for everyday updates but I don't know how practical that will be. My husband has finally returned from a month long business trip and I have other things to occupy my time at night. *Wink.
> 
> But do not fret! All that means is that I am getting lots of new inspirational material. Tehehehe. See how much I love you all!
> 
> Okay. I love you guys. Seriously do. *SMOOCH*
> 
> Musicera
> 
> *This town ain't big enough for two owners of Fairy Tail.


	8. The Bed Situation

. . .

"Come on then, Shrimp. I've got some plans for tonight." He raised one eyebrow as he said it before grabbing my hand and picking up his fast pace. "Keep up otherwise I'll be forced to carry you again," he chuckled.

"You—" I stopped myself before I could get myself in trouble.

 _"Stupid Gajeel,"_ I thought as I ran to catch up to him.

. . .

Our forward progress stopped in front of a row of buildings. They were all roughly the same design, four stories made of brick with lots of windows, but the colors indicated where one building stopped and another started.

I looked up at the building Gajeel had stopped in front of. The bricks were painted a light blue with yellow window frames. The words "Hotel Oshibana" were painted clearly above the double wooden doors.

Gajeel opened the door and cleared his throat to get my attention. I looked up at him before he spoke, "There's a restaurant on this street corner. Why don't you grab us a table while I check us in," he suggested.

I nodded my head in agreement and was just about to turn around before I quickly grabbed his sleeve to stop him from walking into the building. I lowered my voice so no one around us could hear, "I get not wanting to spend more money on a second room but you better get us a room with two beds," I demanded.

Gajeel turned to face me and gave a fake pout. "Keep talking like that and I'm gonna think you don't want to sleep with me," he said with a wink.

"Gajeel! Don't be so perverse!" I flustered at his crude words. "Two. Beds," I demanded.

"Whatever my Shrimp wants," he said, letting the door close behind him.

I stood there looking at the closed door for an extra moment before shaking my head and heading to the corner restaurant. Since it was getting towards dinnertime, I was glad Gajeel sent me along to get a table, so we didn't have to wait.

The restaurant was a simple diner. Booths lined the sides while classic tables and chairs occupied the middle, with an aisle on each side. I waited in our booth for about five minutes before I heard the sound of heavy footsteps. I turned my head and saw Gajeel's hulking figure clear above the crowd. I waved him over to where I was sitting.

"Cozy," he said as he slid into the booth.

I rolled my eyes but smiled briefly. "Did you get us a room?" I asked.

"Sure did," he said, opening his menu.

"With two beds?" I narrowed my eyes at him.

He continued to stare down at his menu. "Something like that. Oh look, a waitress," he raised his hand to flag down one of the servers. "Know what you want Shrimp?"

My eyes widened at his elusive answer but I quickly had to mask my emotions as a waitress approached our table. A frown crept across her face as she eyed Gajeel up and down. _"It must be hard for him to always have people sizing him up based on his appearance like that,_ " I thought. _"Although, I guess people do that with me too. They look at me and just see a small little girl."_

"You're turn to order Shrimp." Gajeel's voice shook me out of my line of thought. "Oh!" I exclaimed, "Uh, I'll just have the grilled chicken salad, thanks!" I said, handing the woman the menu.

"I'll have a beer and she'll have a glass of wine, too," Gajeel added.

"Gajeel, I shouldn't," I started to say, but he cut me off.

"I ain't drinking my myself, Shrimp. One glass ain't gonna kill ya."

I crossed my hands over my chest but nodded my acquiescence.

The waitress looked uncertainly between us before saying, "Great. I'll have that out to you in just a bit." She turned to walk towards the kitchen.

"So, Gajeel," I gave him the most intense look I could muster. "Answer me again: did you get us a room with two beds?"

He returned my gaze, staring into the depths of my eyes. And then he cracked up and finally burst out laughing. People around us started to stare and I tried to smile sweetly at them as if to say "Don't worry, he's not crazy. I promise!"

"Gajeel! Shhhh," I said, trying to get him to quiet down. "You're making a scene."

"Not my fault, Short-stuff. That face of yours was priceless," he said, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye.

I huffed at his reaction.

"So, is there a reason you got all huffy over a glass of wine?" he inquired.

 _"Should I tell him? If I do, he'll probably use it against me,"_ I considered my options. I finally mumbled, "I'm a total lightweight."

"What was that, Shrimp? Speak up now," he mocked.

 _"Oh, come on. He heard me. He has dragon ears!"_ "I'm a total lightweight!" I said clearly.

He gave another deep chuckle before saying, "Practice makes perfect," with a wink.

 _"Yeah, but I get totally grabby when I drink. And it doesn't take long to get me there. In fact, the whole situation with Jet, I'm pretty sure alcohol was involved,"_ I sighed internally.

 _"Maybe it won't be so bad with Gajeel. I feel safe around him and…"_ my thoughts began to take a turn, _"I suppose if things get—interesting—I wouldn't be opposed."_ I snorted to myself. _"Opposed. Try more like in favor of!"_

"You sure daydream a lot, Shorty. Whatchya thinkin' bout?" he gave me an inquisitive smile as he cocked his head to the side.

I frowned at being caught in my internal musings again before I gave him a stern look. "I'm thinking about the bed situation—"

He didn't let me finish. He raised one eyebrow and leaned in close to me. "So glad to hear it," he drawled. I felt his leg move forward to brush against mine under the table.

My face flushed as I realized my blunder and he let out a signature laugh. "Not like that, Gajeel," I mumbled, looking to the side.

"You just keep telling yourself that," he husked in his low voice.

. . .

"Gajeel!" I sang loudly, walking backwards in front of him. "Let's go back to the hotel."

"That's where we're going, Shrimp. You weren't kidding about not holding your alcohol, huh?" he raised an eyebrow at me.

I giggled loudly. "Guilty!" I shouted before turning around and marching forward.

"Probably shouldn't have let you had that second glass," he said as he brought his hand up to rub the back of his neck.

It's not that I was drunk, because I wasn't. But I drank so infrequently that when I did, I really just loved to let myself get loose and fully embrace the warm, fuzzy feeling it gave me. When you're like me, constantly overanalyzing everything you come across, sometimes it's nice to have an excuse to just unwind.

"Nah, I'm good," I replied, approaching the door to the hotel. "I promise, I've still got my senses. See!" I started tapping my finger to my nose to show him I could still feel it and therefore, wasn't drunk.

"You may still have your senses, but I think ya lost your wits, Shorty," he chuckled, holding open the door for me.

I stuck my tongue out at him as I walked through. The hotel was nothing special. There was a standard lobby with the concierge desk and an elevator a little ways past the desk. Off to the right was a room where I gathered breakfast would be served and further past the lobby a room opened up a little larger for a decorative staircase up to the second floor.

"This way," Gajeel said, grabbing my hand gently. I let him lead me to the elevator but as he reached out to press the button, I beat him to it. He gave me a sideways frown and I flashed him my biggest grin and then snickered. He sighed but I could see the smile on his lips.

"Oh, no! Gajeel," I tugged at his sleeve. He looked down at me and grunted. "It's an elevator!"

"Yeah," he furrowed his brows.

"You're not gonna take advantage of me like you did last time, are you?" I said with mock wide eyes.

He grabbed me by the waist and brought his mouth to my ear. I shivered at his closeness before he whispered, "Like how you took advantage of me on the train?"

I sputtered, groping around in my mind for the right words. He always turned me on when he got like this and I think he knew that. He could be such a tease but I couldn't help falling for it. I felt my entire body heat up and I licked my lips.

He gave me another tight squeeze before releasing his hold on me. The bell sounded, signaling the arrival of the car. Gajeel placed his fingers on the small of my back and gently pushed me in. I giggled lightly at the feeling.

Once we got off on our floor, he led me through the maze of hallways before finally stopping in front of door 314. He pulled the card from his pant pocket and held the door open for me so I could walk through. I cocked my head back and flashed him a huge smile as I passed him and he just chuckled.

Like the hotel, the room was pretty standard. A small hallway led to a bathroom on the right with a closet on the left. The room opened up a few steps in. There was a dresser with a lacrimavision on one side and a king sized bed on the other.

 _"Wait! One bed. One king Sized BED?!"_ I really should have expected as much. Gajeel was being elusive about the sleeping arrangements the entire evening.

"Gajeel!" I turned to look at him but he had already swooped down and grabbed me by my waist. He tossed me on the bed and I bounced lightly. His body was instantly on me, caging me under his hulking frame. His wild mane fell on each side of his shoulders, casting shadows between us.

"I told you two beds," I mumbled. "You said whatever your Shrimp wants," I looked up at him, trying to give him the best puppy dog eyes I could muster.

He growled against my ear and the vibrations sent shivers straight to my core.

"I did say that," he husked. "But, I _know_ this is what you want." He took a deep breath around my body. "I can smell it on you."

I felt my body heating up further as my cunt began to throb in anticipation. His words had me so excited.

"Now," I felt his fingers gently brush against my neck and I shuddered involuntarily. "About that train ride." He placed several kisses on my jaw line before continuing. "Mind if I settle my debts?"

His cinnamon eyes looked deep into mine, waiting for an answer.

"If I said no?" I teased in a whisper.

He nibbled my earlobe gently before saying, "I'd respect that, but," he licked the entire shell of my ear, "I'd be pretty disappointed."

"Well," I smirked, "We can't have that." I lifted my head to press my lips gently to his. He instantly took control of the kiss, sealing his lips firmly over mine. He lowered his body, pressing it firmly against my own.

I just loved how tiny he made me feel. Normally, I hated feeling that way but Gajeel made it feel sexy. He was such a dominating force and I loved being consumed by his power.

I tried to kick off my shoes, but had no luck. Gajeel sensed what I was doing and slowed his movements. He lifted himself off of me and I whimpered at the loss of contact.

He let out his signature laugh before saying, "Don't worry, babe. There's plenty more where that came from."

My lower muscles clenched at his words. _"Babe?"_ I tried to make sense of the new name but my all-consuming arousal combined with the lingering effects of the alcohol prevented my brain from firing on all cylinders—and I was strangely okay with that.

By the time I looked down, Gajeel had taken his boots and belt off. His jacket was thrown aside so that I could clearly see just how ripped this man was. He was crouching down on the floor, off the bed, in front of my feet.

I propped myself up on my elbows to watch what he was doing. He delicately took one of my ankles in his hands and unclasped the buckle. Very slowly, he slid the shoe off my foot before repeating the same action on the other side.

He placed a kiss in the arch of each foot before he sensually licked the curve of my right foot, all the while never breaking eye contact with me.

I could feel the swirls of pleasure beginning in my core and I threw my head back at the sensation. "Gajeel, I—" but he didn't let me finish.

"Shhh. Just relax. Like I said, I pay back my debts," he slowly kissed his way up to my ankle and I could feel him smirk against the skin, "with interest."

I let myself fall flat onto the bed as I felt each of his hands slowly travel up the length of my lower legs. His caresses were gentle, as he was just using his fingertips. I was already becoming putty in his hands.

His hands traveled back down to my ankles before he lifted himself up onto the bed and laid himself next to me. One arm propped himself up on his elbow while the other drew circles over my knee. I visibly shuddered and my lips opened as I gasped.

I cracked my eyes open to look at him and he leaned in to whisper, "I love watching you feel pleasure." My eyes shut and I moaned at his words, before he continued. "And I love that you chose me."

 _"Chose? Him?"_ But I didn't get too far on that line of thinking before his movements had me forgetting all thought. His right hand lifted from my legs and he slowly trailed his fingers all the way from my hand to my shoulder. His touch was gentle as he walked his way across my collarbone so he could repeat the motion on the other arm.

I moaned his name and I heard him let out a satisfied sigh. He was worshipping my body and I couldn't get enough of it. He made me feel like a goddess.

His hand zigzagged its way across my chest and stomach before his touch intensified at the bottom of my shirt. His hand felt warm against my skin as he started to caress my side under my shirt.

His hand traveled across my navel before returning to its previous position. I let out a heavy breath when he finally moved to lift the shirt up over my head. His fingertips trailed across my yellow bandeau bra, but it was too thick for me to feel anything. I ached for his touch there and I tried to press myself into his fingers.

He chuckled softly and moved close to my ear again, "Someone's impatient, " he whispered. "Good things _come_ to those who wait." He put extra emphasis on the word and I was gasping again.

I reached both hands out to grasp behind his neck and tried to pull his head down to mine. He obliged and kissed me fiercely as I angled my body into his. His body moved closer to mine and he wrapped a leg over my own and ground himself against me gently. His right hand caressed me from my neck, down to my shoulder, across my side before he firmly grabbed my ass and squeezed it. He used it to leverage me as he ground himself into me deeper.

I moaned at the contact, breaking the kiss. He used the opportunity to trail kisses down my jaw before he began to suck gently on my neck. I pushed past the pleasure to say," Gajeel, don't leave a mark." I think there was something about a job or needing to be seen in public.

He smiled against my skin before pulling back to whisper, "Too late." I couldn't help but moan at his sexy voice. "Besides," he said as he rolled on top of me, " _you're mine,_ " he growled.

I moaned wantonly as his lips descended on mine and his tongue pushed into my mouth. His kisses were all consuming and all thought fled my brain. All I could feel was the taste of his lips and all I could smell was his metallic scent.

He hand traveled down to my navel, circling it once, twice, before he popped the button on my capris. I lifted my hips for him as he pulled the clothing down and off my body, throwing it onto the floor.

His fingertips started at my knee as he caressed a path along the inside of my thigh before switching and traveling down my other leg. He repeated the motion several times, each time getting nearer to my junction but never making contact. I was moaning underneath him at this point and I could feel my panties were completely soaked through.

I _needed_ him to touch me. I needed to feel his large, callused hands all over my body.

"Gajeel…"

He hummed his response, sucking another spot on my neck.

"Please," I begged.

"Please, what?" he teased.

I was too far gone to be embarrassed. "Touch me. I need to _feel_ you," I groaned.

I felt the pressure of his touch increase and he slowly brought a hand up to my chest while his other one moved down to massage my backside. It rested low on my rear, cupping the bottom of my cheek and his fingers brushed lightly against my womanhood. I screamed at the touch.

I heard a growl in my ear and his other hand pushed my bra over and off my head. His movements stilled and I cracked my eyes open to look at him. His gaze was sweeping over my body and I blushed under the scrutiny. He finally saw me looking at him and he gave me the most searing kiss before pulling back to say, "I've wanted to see you like this for so long."

I moaned his name as I threw my head back. His words made me feel so exquisitely beautiful, even as I was mostly bare to him.

His fingers finally found their way to my breasts. He made slow circles around one breast, getting close to the nipple before switching to perform the same torture on its twin. I was nearly thrashing with pleasure and my nipples were just begging for his touch.

"Tell me what you want," his voice rasped in my ear.

"Oh, god. Gajeel," I moaned.

"Say it," he whispered.

"Touch me please. I need to feel you," I gasped.

The moment the words fell from my lips his fingers grazed over the tips of my nipples. I felt my vaginal muscles waver and a small wave of pleasure crashed through my body. I felt ready to come and he hadn't even touched me below.

He propped himself up over my body and began to press kisses down my neck and collarbone. He lightly bit my shoulder before finally latching onto my right nipple. I screamed his name as his tongue drew circles around my tip. His other hand was on its pair, brushing his thumb back and forth over the tip gently.

I threw my head into the mattress and reached my hands down his back. I felt his muscles flex under my touch and I pressed my fingertips firmly into his skin, as I dragged them up towards his neck.

His mouth and fingers switched places so that he was performing the same torture on my left breast. His one hand wound its way around my waist, holding me tightly to him, while the other one slowly made its way to my womanhood. He caressed me over my panties and I cried out his name.

His mouth left my breast and I felt his hot breath in my ear. He let out a low growl before whispering, "Time to come."

I felt my walls clench from his words as he pushed back my underwear to reveal my glistening sex. His fingertips tickled my lower lips, which by this point were thoroughly soaked. His thumb found my clit and he pressed firmly against the pleasure button.

I arched from the sensation it caused but he held me firmly in his embrace. His pace was slow at first. He alternated between small circles and firm presses and I was going out of my mind.

I lost all hold on reality when I felt his index finger slowly circle my entrance before plunging into my depths. I screamed his name and I heard him growl as he squeezed my waist tighter with his other arm.

His finger circles inside me several times, lingering on that spongy spot near the top. He added a second finger and I knew my mouth was completely agape in pleasure but I didn't care. All I could do at that moment was revel in the feelings this man was causing in me.

His fingers pumped me gently before pressing firmly into that delicious spot. His thumb returned to my clit and began to rub small, firm circles.

I could feel my walls begin to clench around his fingers and the muscles throughout my body began to tense.

His voice was in my ear again, "You're so wet for me," he groaned. He licked the shell of my ear all the way to my lobe.

I crested at his racy words. My walls clenched and an overwhelming tingling feeling spread throughout my body. I felt an instant lightness of my body and an amazing sensation in my clitoris. I screamed his name and moaned loudly as my walls began to pulsate. I could feel his digits move slightly inside me and another burst of pleasure spread throughout my body before I started to descend.

Each pulse started at my cunt and spread throughout my body and I rode the waves until my sea of pleasure finally calmed. I collapsed in his embrace, unable to move, think or speak.

He pressed a gentle kiss to my lips, then one on my forehead and another in my hair before he breathed in my scent. "You smell so fucking delicious," he groaned as he burrowed his nose into my locks.

All I could do was lay there, basking in the afterglow. For once, my mind was quiet.

END CHAPTER 8

. . .

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Darlings!
> 
> . .Hottttt. Hope this makes up for the mostly plot-filled last chapter.
> 
> Big shout out to my husband for providing the inspiration for this chapter. That man *fans myself*
> 
> I don't even know what to write here. Like, my mind is also kinda blank from writing that whole episode lol.
> 
> Let's see, oh yes! So I purposely did not have Gajeel go down on Levy. Why? Because even though she went down on him, I feel like there is something way more intimate about going down on a woman. And so I want their relationship to progress a little bit before that happens.
> 
> Guys on the other hand, I don't think they're super selective about who gives them head. Never been one before so I don't have first hand knowledge, but that's just what I've observed.
> 
> I am loving all of your reviews! Seriously you guys, I love you all so much and I am so happy that you are liking the story. They like me! They really like me!
> 
> Keep on being the beautiful, lovely and sexy people that I know you are! I'll see you in a day most likely.
> 
> FRENCH KISSES FOR ALL OF YOU!
> 
> Musicera
> 
> * You don't understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a chick, who doesn't own Fairy Tail.


	9. Falling

. . .

He pressed a gentle kiss to my lips, then one on my forehead and another in my hair before he breathed in my scent. "You smell so fucking delicious," he groaned as he burrowed his nose into my locks.

All I could do was lay there, basking in the afterglow. For once, my mind was quiet.

. . .

When I finally descended from the clouds, I slowly opened both eyes. Gajeel was still holding me close to his body and his cerise eyes were staring at me intently.

"That was amazing," I said softly, nuzzling into his embrace.

He smirked before saying, "I'm so glad you liked it."

I blushed, remembering how our roles were reversed the last time we spoke those words. I playfully batted at his broad chest with my hand.

"I don't think you want to play that game, Shrimp. You're guaranteed to lose." He rolled over so he was fully caging me with his weight. His knees were on either side of me and his hair shut out the light from the room.

 _"Did we really just do that with the lights on?"_ I wondered. That had surprised me. Normally I was so self conscious that I was never able to do anything remotely intimate unless the lights were heavily dimmed. _"I guess I just feel more relaxed around Gajeel for some reason. He makes me feel—okay being myself. More than okay, he makes me feel sexy and confident."_

I giggled when he started to nuzzle my neck. I tried to bat at him again but he caught my wrist with his hand. He growled playfully in my ear before securing both wrists with one hand above my head. "I told you, you were going to lose," he husked.

I started to squirm beneath him, but that only spurred him on more. "Keep rubbing yourself all over me like that and I'm not going to be responsible for what happens, Shorty."

I widened my eyes at him as I realized just what I was doing. I looked down to see I was in nothing but my blue striped panties and Gajeel was in nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs. I had very much been rubbing my naked body all over his in my attempt to get free without realizing it.

I noticed his manhood was pushing against his briefs and I cocked an eyebrow up at him as I looked into his eyes. Very slowly, I began to move my body beneath his, so that our cores made contact.

"Levy," he gasped. "I'm serious, if you don't stop," he was breathing heavy now, "I won't be able to control myself."

I brought my head up so I could whisper in his ear since he still had my hands secured above my head. "I don't want you to control yourself."

He let out a feral growl and kissed me fiercely. His tongue pushed roughly into my mouth and I opened to the intrusion. I continued to grind myself against his erection, rocking my hips forward to get the most contact.

While his right hand secured both my wrists above my head, his left came down and gripped me firmly just below the waist. He pushed me into him as he pressed his hips into my core. He continued his thrusting motion, again and again and again.

His grip was harsh on my wrists but I didn't care. I loved the feeling of him thrusting into me, even if it was just over our clothing. I looked down to see his chest muscles flex with the exertion. He was absolutely mouthwatering. Each time he rammed into me, his pectoral muscles flexed so that I could see the bands of the muscle clear across his chest.

I arched my back so my chest made contact with his. My breasts bounced with each rock and my nipples grazed his glorious form. The contact felt amazing, especially considering how sensitive I was from my recent release.

His speed began to increase. He pushed my legs open with his knees so that I was spread wide for him. He released my wrists and I wrapped my arms around his shoulders to try and anchor myself.

I could feel his rock-hard manhood rubbing against my vulva through our clothing. Each time he thrust, he made contact with my still lightly throbbing clitoris. He had me panting in no time.

He propped himself up on his elbows and let his head fall into the crook of my neck. His teeth latched gently onto the junction between my neck and shoulder. With my legs spread wide for him, the feelings he caused with each thrust were even more intense. His mouth on my neck, my chest grazing his, our cores rubbing together fiercely, I was so consumed by him. All I could feel around me was Gajeel. It was marvelous.

"Shit, Levy I'm gonna—" his voice was heavy and I finished the sentence for him.

"Come, Gajeel, come!"

He let out something between and groan and a growl and I felt his release. The tip of his manhood had poked through the top of his briefs so that a good amount of his seed spilled onto my stomach. Truth be told, it felt amazing and downright kinky to be covered in his essence. It was hot on my skin, just like Gajeel. I loved knowing that I could bring such a man to completion.

He breathed out the rest of his release, with his head still in the crook of my neck. When his breathing finally normalized, he lifted his head and gave me a gentle, but passionate kiss. He pulled back before saying, "You are so fucking amazing."

I giggled and nuzzled the side of his face. I loved how I was beginning to feel so carefree around him.

"Shit," he said once he noticed I was covered in his release. He sat back on his heels, still straddling me. "Sorry about that," he winced.

I gave him a saucy grin. "Why are you sorry?" I reached down to feel his cum. I trailed my fingers through it, dragging some between my breasts before finally bringing my fingers up to my mouth. I looked at him with lusty eyes before I began to lick my digits. As my tongue swirled around my fingers, I closed my eyes and moaned. "You taste amazing," I breathed.

I opened my eyes back up to see him staring at me with his intense eyes. "Fuckin' a, Shorty." He brought one hand up to his face before running it roughly through his mane. "You keep doing shit like that and I am never going to let you leave this bed."

I winked at him. "There are worse fates."

. . .

Gajeel was sweet enough to let me take the first shower. He threw on a new pair of briefs and the hotel's bathrobe and headed out of the room to get us some water.

I rinsed off quickly, erasing the evidence of our lewd activities on my body as best I could. _"This stuff is really hard to get off!"_ I huffed. _"Seriously, someone should create something for this because soap and a washcloth is not doing it!"_

Once I scrubbed myself red and was satisfied that I was clean, I turned off the spray and wrapped myself in a large white towel. I opened the bathroom door to find Gajeel sitting on the edge of the bed, flipping through lacrimavision channels.

He turned around at the sound of the door opening. He eyed me up and down before letting out his signature laugh. "Ready for round two?"

My eyes widened in surprise. _"I don't think I could handle anything else! I'm exhausted! Seriously, where does he find the energy? Besides, I don't want things to move too quickly. I feel like they may have already and I just want to make sure that he respects me and—"_

I felt firm hands wrap around my waist as he pulled me into a tight hug. He held onto me for several long moments until I felt myself relax in his grip. Finally he released his hold on me and brushed back a lock of my wet hair that had fallen onto my forehead.

He kissed the spot gently before saying, "Relax, babe. I was just teasing. I'm gonna rinse off. Go on and get in bed."

My eyes followed him as he walked into the bathroom. I watched as he dropped his robe and quickly turned around before he dropped his briefs. "Gajeel! Aren't you going to close the door?" I sputtered.

He let out a low chuckle, "Why bother? I ain't shy." He looked back and cocked a smile, "And I think you like lookin'."

I blushed and walked forward towards my bag. _"Do not turn around!"_ I internally reprimanded myself, because I _so_ wanted to turn around and see _all_ of him.

I heard him pull the curtain closed and I breathed a sigh of relief. I started sifting through my bag.

 _"Oh jeez."_ I realized that I hadn't brought the most appropriate nightwear, thinking we were going to have separate rooms. It was similar to my other night set but this one was slightly more risqué. The chemise was bright red and instead of a scoop neck with thick straps, it was a v-neck with spaghetti straps. Essentially, the only material covering my breasts was two small satin triangles. _"Great,"_ I grimaced. _"I wonder how this is going to play out."_

I donned the offending garment, despite my reservations. It was either that or sleep naked. _"I doubt Gajeel would mind very much,"_ I laughed internally, before shaking my head to try and rid the images that were forming.

I decided to make him a small amount of iron before getting into bed, just incase he needed a boost. I set it on the edge of the dresser before hopping into bed and pulling the covers up and over me.

I heard the water of the shower turn off and within a minute, a very naked Gajeel was walking through the hotel room. "Gajeel!" I screamed, pulling the covers up over my head.

"What?" he asked, as he searched through his bag for a clean pair of briefs. "Nothin' you haven't seen before," he laughed. "Or licked for that matter."

"Gajeel!" I screamed again, although the comforter muffled my words. I felt the bed depress from his weight and he climbed over my covered form.

"Where's the Shrimp? I could have sworn she was in here," he said as he started lightly jabbing my form above the covers. When his fingers made contact with my body, he started to tickle me through the blanket. I burst out laughing.

"Gajeel! Stop!" I've always been way too ticklish for my own good. My pleas only served to spur him on because he continued his tirade. I finally managed free myself from the comforter's prison. I gulped down the cold air but Gajeel didn't stop. He tackled me, this time tickling me directly. I tried so hard to fight back but he was strong and no matter what I did, I ended up on my back, with him pressing his fingers into me.

"Okay! Okay! Please," I gasped. "I can't anymore. You win."

His torment stopped and he sat next to me, pulling me close to him. "I sure did."

I blushed at the sweet words and smiled up at him. His eyes met mine and he threw me a sideways smile. "Is that for me," he cocked his head towards the dresser where the iron was resting.

I nodded and hummed my agreement. "Thought you might like a snack before you go to bed."

He kissed the top of my head before pushing himself off the bed to claim his treasure. "You're the best, you know that, Shrimp?"

I didn't know what to say so I just smiled and cast my gaze down on my hands.

He sat himself on the edge of the bed Indian-style facing me, with the iron resting on his thighs before taking his first bite. "Now, let's talk about that outfit of yours," he said through loud chews. "Are you trying to seduce me or something?" A huge grin appeared on his face as he continued to chew his metal.

I crossed my arms and huffed at him. "We were _supposed_ to have separate rooms. Or at least separate beds! You're not supposed to see me like this."

He cocked his head to the side and looked up, as if deep in thought. He swallowed and said, "You're right. If given my choice, I'd much rather see you naked and screaming my name."

"Gajeel!" I yelled his name.

"One more time," he smirked, "but this time, get naked."

. . .

Once he finished eating his ore, he got up to turn off the lights and double check the lock on the door. He sauntered over to the bed and looked down at me. I was lying on the side closest to the entrance. "Move over," he grunted.

I looked up at him and frowned. "Why?" I protested.

"Cause, I sleep near the door."

"Why?" I crossed my arms, looking for a better explanation.

He bent at the waist and placed both hands on the side of my rear before pushing me to the other side of the bed. "Because," he accented the word, "if someone attacks us in the night, I want them hitting me first, not you."

"Oh," I mouthed with my lips. "Well, in that case, thanks, I guess." I didn't know quite what to say. The sentiment was very sweet. He wanted to protect me. He didn't want to see me get hurt. _"Is it because he really cares for me, or is this just his way of being a gentleman?"_

He got into the bed next to me and wrapped his arm firmly around my shoulder. "I told you," his voice broke me from my reverie. "I'm not letting anyone get to what's mine."

 _"What's mine?"_ I repeated the words in my head over and over again. What Cana had said about him being possessive was starting to feel more and more true. _"Am I okay with that? Am I okay with_ belonging _to Gajeel?"_ The truth of the matter was, I probably was. I wasn't necessarily ready to admit it to myself, but deep down, I think I knew that I really cared about this man. There was something about him that just made me feel safe. Not only that, but he made me feel confident in a way no one ever had before. Being around him just felt—right. _"What do you call that? That feeling of belonging?"_

He cleared his throat. "So tomorrow morning, you're going to head to the woman's house to write those runes."

I shook my head in agreement, before vocalizing as much, realizing the room was dark.

"Alright, well while you're off doing that, I'm gonna start to do some investigating around town. See what I can find. Meet up back here at noon?"

"That should be enough time," I agreed.

"Good." He moved himself down on the bed so that he was laying flat. His hand stayed around my shoulder and he pulled me tighter to him, so that I was leaning into his body. I placed a hand on his chest and burrowed myself into the crook of his arm. I breathed his scent in. His metallic smell was so calming and I wanted to surround myself in it.

"Hey Gajeel?" my voice was soft.

"Yeah," he hummed, threading his legs with mine.

I let out a deep sigh, battling with myself as to whether or not I should admit this. Emotion won out over logic. "I think I'm falling for you."

He squeezed me tighter, before he finally responded. "I've already hit the ground."

. . .

The next morning I woke before Gajeel. I watched him sleep for a few moments, before I finally got myself up and into the bathroom to change. I donned my classic orange dress with white ties and threw my hair up in a messy ponytail, held back by my blue ribbon.

When I exited the bathroom, Gajeel was awake and half dressed. His back was turned and just his pants were on. He was giving me a gorgeous view of his rippling back muscles. Images of digging my fingers into his form flooded my head and I felt the blood rush to my cheeks. I smacked both hands to each side of my face and the sound must have alerted him to my presence. He turned around, giving me an equally amazing view of his front.

"Gajeel," I said, battling with myself as to whether to look away or not.

"Hmm?" he raised an eyebrow and halted his movements.

"You really should try and cover up more," I managed to choke out.

He threw the shirt he was holding aside and strode up to me. His hair was tied back in a red zigzag bandana and I just loved the look. I could see the harsh angles of his face so clearly and those eyes of his were on me.

He grabbed both of my hands and brought them up to his chest. He dragged my fingers down his well-defined chest and continued south to his rippling abs. His movements slowed just above his belt line.

I couldn't help but lick my lips and moan softly. His voice was sultry, "You love me like this."

"I—" Coherent thoughts weren't surfacing. All I could do was continue to blush, sad at the loss of contact when he let my hands go.

He grabbed my shoulders and turned me around towards the door. He leaned close to me and trailed his fingers from my shoulder, down the small of my back before he finally cupped my right cheek. He massaged the flesh before giving it a firm squeeze. "Better get out of here before I don't let you leave." He spanked me, a little harder than usual. I grabbed my backside at the contact and turned to look at him with wide eyes.

His smile turned serious and a look of lust passed over his features. "I'm serious," his voice was quiet. "Get going."

I pulled my lips into my mouth and looked up at him with sultry eyes. _"I can play his teasing game too."_

"See you at lunch, Gajeel." I let the words drip off my tongue. "I can't wait," I paused and bit my lower lip and half opened the door, "to see what's on the menu." I gave him a crooked smile before letting the door close behind me.

"Fuck." I heard it through the door. I snickered and headed towards the elevator. _"That was too much fun! I see why he likes it now!"_

. . .

I finished writing the runes just before noon. The woman was so thankful. She had invited me to stay for lunch but I excused myself, telling her that I had made plans to meet with Gajeel and assist him with his investigation.

She gave me a sweet smile and said she understood, but not before insisting I take some sandwiches to go. I agreed and thanked her for the food before heading out the gate.

I looked at my watch. _"Crap. 11:52, I'm going to be late."_

I walked as quickly as I could back to the hotel but even still, I didn't arrive until quarter past. I knocked on the door, having forgotten my key in the morning. I heard movement behind the entrance before Gajeel finally swung the door open.

A look of worry was clear on his features and he firmly grabbed my wrist before pulling me inside. "Gajeel," I exclaimed. I felt his arms close around me in a tight embrace. "I'm fine. I just got held up is all. The woman wanted to give us food."

He was shaking slightly and I made calming movements on his back. He finally released his hold on me. He grabbed my chin and brought my lips to his for a searing kiss. I dropped the bag of food on the floor and allowed myself to get swept up in his dominating force.

He walked a step backwards and pushed me into the door. His form was on me, pushing me further into the solid metal. I wound my hands around his neck before letting them tangle in his mane.

He broke the contact, leaving me wanting oh so much more. I panted and looked up at him. He seemed to have recovered from whatever his episode was just moments before.

He smirked down at me as I licked my lips, relishing his flavor. "Too bad," he drawled. "I was hoping you were on the menu."

END CHAPTER 9

. . .

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my darlings!
> 
> Here's chapter 9 for you. Can you believe we are already at chapter 9? Crazy crazy!
> 
> So a lot of you have said that you were excited for the time when Levy starts finally admitting to herself that she is totally in love with Gajeel. While we're not fully there yet, we're getting there with this chapter and I hope it makes you gush when you read it!
> 
> Again, I try and write the smut realistically. So, that means no amazing, over the top orgasms from grinding, especially after having just climaxed. I'm sorry. That shit isn't real. If you think it is—well…I don't know what to tell you. That's just not how the female anatomy works. And I hate reading stuff that's like "Then she climaxed for the FOURTH time that night." What? How? I'd be asleep by that point. Seriously. Get a grip.
> 
> I don't know you guys. I'm totally not feeling Christmas this year. Like, we just put up decorations today. Totally behind, I know. Walmart was literally giving their left over Christmas trees away for free. Just goes to show you, good things come to those who can't get their shit together.
> 
> Weird to think I shop at Walmart, right? I could very well shop at your Walmart and you'd never know it! And you could shop at mine! Enter the twilight zone.
> 
> But I was putting up decorations around the house and I wasn't even listening to Christmas music. And I didn't want to. Bleh. Total Grinch this year I guess lol. Does anyone know a town from which I can steal presents? I kid. I kid.
> 
> In other news, seriously, why is there not a cum remover. Ladies, am I right? That shit is like hard to get off! I think it's the swimmers, they like grasp on and they just do NOT want to let go. It takes vigorous amounts of scrubbing to get that stuff off. I feel like there is a void in the market. I can see the advertising headline now "Take a load off." I crack myself up. #MillionDollarIdea.
> 
> Alright, it's midnight. Props to me for getting this done before 1am. It's the small victories in life ya know?
> 
> Love you guys! Keep those reviews coming. They really do inspire me to keep writing!
> 
> Love you all! Despite my scrooge-ness, I hope you all have AMAZING holidays! Not sure if I'll have a chance to do any writing over the weekend. We shall see. Lots depends on what my husband wants to do. *Wink.
> 
> KISSES!
> 
> Musicera
> 
> *Toto, I don't think we own Fairy Tail anymore.


	10. The Treasure Hunter

. . .

He broke the contact, leaving me wanting oh so much more. I panted and looked up at him. He seemed to have recovered from whatever his episode was just moments before.

He smirked down at me as I licked my lips, relishing his flavor. "Too bad," he drawled. "I was hoping you were on the menu."

. . .

It was a good thing the door was there to support me, otherwise I don't think I would have been able to remain standing on my own power.

"But I guess sandwiches will have to make do for now." Gajeel stepped back and picked up the bag I had dropped. He walked into the room and placed them on the dresser before motioning for me to follow.

I sucked a deep breath down before I pushed myself off the door to follow him into the room. I set about pulling the sandwiches out and handed one to him. He grunted his thanks before I grabbed mine and sat cross-legged on the bed.

He leaned back against the dresser, slowly munching his food.

"So," I said between bites, "Did you find out anything good?"

He finished his sandwich quickly and turned around to sift through the bag for some more food. He pulled out a bag of chips and sat himself on the dresser as he started to snack on them. "Sure did. Turns out there's a local bar where a lot of the Sylph guys hang in the evening. We'll head there tonight to do some digging."

"Good thinking," I hummed as I finished my food. I held my wrapper up to Gajeel with pleading eyes.

He looked down at me with a cocky grin. "Need something?"

I pursed my lips and looked at the big bag of chips in his hands. "Please?"

"Well," he said coming close, "since you were so polite." He poured a handful of chips into the empty paper and I bounced back on the bed with a smile on my face.

"You're really adorable, you know that Levy?" he said with a grin.

I blushed before looking up into his eyes. "I feel comfortable being myself around you," I admitted.

"Whatchya mean?" He looked at me curiously. He brought one leg up onto the dresser so he could lean his arm against his elbow.

I sighed and finished the last of my chips before balling the wrapper up. I looked down at my hands before I finally gathered the courage to voice what was on my mind.

"I don't know, it's just that, everyone sees me as this small little bookworm and expects me to be a certain way. Sometimes I find myself acting that way just to meet people's expectations." I let out a heavy breath. "But that's not really who I am. I love books, don't get me wrong, but I have a fun side!" I looked at him with honest eyes. "You're the first person in a long time that has taken the time to really get to know me for me."

I shook my head from side to side before trying to plaster a smile on my face. "I'm sorry. I'm probably not making much sense. Just forget I said anything."

Gajeel turned his head to the side to gaze out the window. "You don't ever have to apologize for being honest with me." He pushed himself off the dresser before crossing the distance to sit next to me on the bed. He sat facing me and his weight depressed the mattress so that I had to keep myself from falling into him.

He took my hands in his before he spoke. "It's the same with me. When people look at me, they still expect the punk from Phantom Lord. Even people on the street expect me to be like that. So that's how I act, because it's easier to meet people's expectations than deal with the questions."

He sighed and brought my hands up to his face. "But you," he leaned into my touch before he continued, "You're the first person to see me for something else. Hell, after everything I'd done to you in the past, you were one of the first people to even try and get close to me."

The smallest amount of moisture leaked from one of his eyes and I brought my thumb up to wipe it away before tangling by hand in his hair. I leaned myself in close, so our foreheads were touching. "Everyone has a past. You were a different person back then. I just feel so grateful that you've given me the opportunity to get to know the real Gajeel."

He let out a shaky breath. "I hope I don't end up scaring you off like I do everyone else," he said with a sad smile.

I gripped the back of his neck firmly so he would look into my eyes. "No way is that ever going to happen. Gajeel, I—" but before I could finish the thought, his lips were on mine.

His kiss was soft and gentle, unlike the others I had experienced. It brought me back to the first time we kissed in the middle of the night. I let myself fall back on the bed and he followed without breaking contact, leaning beside me. One of his large hands gripped me gently behind my neck while the other snaked its way around my waist.

I found myself being flipped onto my stomach as Gajeel laid flat on the bed, pulling me with him. I was mostly on top of him at this point and I broke contact to look into his eyes.

His one hand stayed on the small of my back but his other moved to caress the side of my face. He brushed a lock of hair back behind my ear. I leaned into his touch while closing my eyes; adoring the feeling of comfort he was giving me. "Levy," he whispered quietly. I opened my eyes back up at his words. "Ever since Metalicana left, I've felt alone. For the first time in a long time, I don't feel as abandoned anymore. It's because of you."

I opened my mouth to speak but he put his finger to my lips gently. "I don't care how long it takes for you to realize your feelings. I'll be here when that day arrives."

 _"Realize my feelings?"_ His hands were caressing my cheek again and I leaned into his touch for the second time. I let out a deeply satisfied sigh. _"What are my feelings? I don't really know. I'm so confused."_

I thought back to all the times I spent with Gajeel. I felt so at ease with him. When I wasn't around him, all I did was hope for the times we would be together again. But things were moving so fast. I barely had time to process what was going on. I wondered if it was true emotion or if it was just a wave of lust that had swept us up. _"That doesn't feel right, though. I've got to believe there is something more to this than the need to screw."_ I just hoped the same went for Gajeel and this wasn't just some big game.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to clear out the self-doubt. When I opened my eyes, he was still there, looking at me with such adoration. _"It's got to be real. There's no way he could fake something like that."_

"Gajeel I—" I didn't know quite what I was going to say, because I hadn't fully figured out how I felt. Something deep inside me wanted to say that I cared for him more than I had ever cared for anyone and that I wanted to be with him, always. But my mind stopped me. I had just admitted to falling for him yesterday. I was moving too fast and I was afraid of getting hurt.

He put his fingers back over my lips. "Shhh…" his voice trailed off. "You don't have to say anything. Not until you're ready." With those words, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a tight embrace.

I lost track of time as we lay together, with me resting against his chest, and his arms wrapped fully around my small frame.

. . .

Several hours later found us getting ready to head to the local bar the Sylph members frequented. I took the opportunity to rinse off in the shower. Before exiting the small bathroom, I wrapped the hotel bathrobe around me tightly. It still smelled like Gajeel.

As I walked into the room, I moved to pick up my orange dress so I could put it back on. Gajeel eyed me before saying, "Got anything less bright? Don't want to stand out too much where we're going."

I cast my eyes down on my dress before frowning slightly. "Oh, let me see." I started to rummage through my bag, looking for something more subdued. I felt Gajeel's eyes on me before he walked over to me. He embraced me from behind, wrapping both his arms around my waist before whispering in my ear, "You know I love how you look, no matter what you're wearing."

I giggled as he playfully nipped at the side of my neck. I turned around in his arms and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "I know. Thanks, Gajeel." I turned back around to look through my bag again. _"I think I have something a little darker that may work in here,"_ I thought.

Gajeel's hand collided with my rear before he chuckled and said, "Anytime."

. . .

As we headed towards the bar that evening, I noticed the town become a little more run down with each step we took. I was glad I had Gajeel walking beside me. I looked up at him as he strode at my side. He was wearing his khakis tucked into his combat boots but he paired it with just a simple green v-neck tee. His hair was tied back and he was sporting his red bandana.

_"Why aren't you wearing your jacket? I'm surprised to see you without metal on your clothing!" I chided him._

_He grunted as he walked towards the door. "Don't want anyone to recognize me, if I can help it. That metal is usually a dead giveaway." He smirked. "Don't know too many other men who can pull off the iron look like me."_

_He gave me a sideways wink before we walked out the door._

I myself had found an outfit that was less—bubbly. I paired a skintight black t-shirt with a pair of skinny jeans. I still wore my red sandals but I forwent my bright blue bandana, since it was part of my signature look.

Gajeel's steps slowed behind me and before I realized, he was walking a few strides behind. I turned my head back to look at him before asking him what was the matter.

"Absolutely nothing," he sighed. "I just love seeing your ass in those jeans."

I grabbed my backside and turned around. My face was flaming red. "Gajeel!"

He took two long strides before he swept me up in his arms. I leaned back as his chest pushed into me. He brought his lips close to my ear before he whispered, "I'm not Gajeel anymore. No one needs to know our real names tonight."

He let me go and I stumbled a little to regain my balance. I straightened my top from where it had gotten scrunched and peeked up at him. He was scanning the area to see if anyone had seen us. Thankfully, this street was deserted.

"So then, what should I call you from now on," I said mischievously.

He let out his signature laugh. "Nothing at all. As far as everyone else is concerned, we've never met before."

I quirked an eyebrow as if asking him to explain. He continued, "We'll enter the bar separately. First you, then me. I want you to go sit at the bar. With how fine your ass is looking tonight, guaranteed guys are going to come up and chat with you. Try and see if you can find out anything."

"And what will you be doing, while I'm doing all the heavy lifting!" I pouted at him.

"I'm going to sit down in the back and listen. Chances are with how recent this theft is, someone's bound to be talking about it," he responded.

"So, what's our endgame?" I asked.

"I'll leave first. Watch for me as I exit. I'll wait outside in an alley. Once you leave, I'll follow behind you until we get to the hotel area and can be seen together."

I nodded in agreement. "Sounds like a good plan to me." I smiled up at him. "You know, you're a pretty good tactician."

"Thanks, Levy," he looked down at me with a smile of his own. "That really does mean a lot coming from you."

We walked for few more blocks before we finally reached our destination. The building was pretty run down. It almost looked like it had once been a converted warehouse of some sorts. It was a white corner building made of cinderblocks with two windows on either side of the entrance. Above the front door were the words "Troubled Times."

I looked back at Gajeel, as if to say, "Are you sure this is the place." He nodded his head before disappearing into the shadows. I turned back around to face the door and steeled my nerves. I took a deep breath as I pushed the door open.

I felt the eyes on me the instant I walked in. The entire place had a red glow to it, from the colored lights hanging from the ceiling. A long bar that ran against the back wall seemed to be the greatest attraction. A few tables and chairs were spread out throughout the rest of the room. Further in the back, I thought I saw a pool table with a few people around it.

The clientele was more or less what you would have expected to find in a place like this. There were definitely some town locals, just looking for a cheap drink. There were also your travelers, that looked like they had been on the road for a little too long. Most of the women were attached to a guy, but there were a few that were there with another friend, trying their best to flirt with some of the cuter patrons.

I spotted an open stool at the bar and walked up to claim it. Once I had settled myself, I waved the bartender over. He cocked an eyebrow at me before asking, "What'll it be?"

I was about to go on the automatic and order a fruity drink, but I quickly thought the better of it. I cleared my throat before asking for a beer. Within a minute, the bartender set a foaming mug in front of me. I took a sip and tried to hide my grimace.

_"I really do hate beer. I don't understand how Cana can drink so much of it. There are very few good beers out there. The majority of them are pretty disgusting."_

Movement at the entrance caught the corner of my eye. I saw Gajeel enter through the front door. He paused briefly, surveying the place and I felt his gaze pass over me. He surprised me by walking right up to where I was sitting.

He leaned over the bar next to me, "Oi! Bartender! I'll take a beer," he yelled. The bartender nodded and poured him the drink. Gajeel grunted his thanks before taking the beer back with him to a table in the back corner.

I did my best to keep looking forward, as if the whole situation didn't faze me. Just then, I felt a large hand press into my shoulder. I turned to see to whom it belonged and my gaze fell on a well-built man of average height. He had dark hair, styled into four spikes and sported some stubble on his chin. He was wearing a fur-trimmed jacket with a pair of dark green pants.

"Anyone sitting here?" he asked. I hadn't noticed that the stool beside me was empty.

"No, all yours," I replied.

"Thanks," he said as he sat down. He raised his right hand to waive down the bartender, and that's when I saw it: a green wristband with the Sylph Labyrinth guild mark.

 _"Bingo!"_ I thought. _"I'll have to be careful though, I don't want to seem too interested. He may think something's up."_

The bartender came over and my target ordered ale. Once he had his drink, he turned himself sideways on his seat so he could better look at me. I smiled shyly at him and he chuckled. "Name's Hiroshi, you?"

_"Crap! I don't think I want to give away my real name in this situation, do I?"_

"Lana," I replied evenly. _"Sorry Lucy and Cana! Combining your names was the first thing I could think of!"_

"So, Lana," he cocked an eyebrow of me before taking a swig of his ale, "What's a girl like you doing in a place like this?"

I rolled my eyes at the cheesy line. "Just passing through the town on my way to—Clover Town. I've got some relatives that way."

"But, why a place like this?" he narrowed his eyes at me.

_"Crap! Does he suspect something?"_

I giggled before saying, "Girl's gotta drink and I don't wanna blow all my jewel at some fancy restaurant up town to get the same buzz."

He leaned back and let out a genuine laugh. "I like your style, Lana."

_"Good. He's falling for it."_

"What about you, Hiroshi," I let his name drip off my tongue. "What brings you to a place like this?" I turned myself so I was facing him. I put my elbow up on the bar and rested my cheek on my hand before throwing him a playful look.

"Just finished a job in town," he said, slightly puffing his chest out.

"Really?" I said with interest. "Are you in a guild or something?"

"Sure am, sugar," he flashed me a cocky grin.

_"This is too easy."_

"That's so cool!" I gushed. "So," I inched closer to him so that my legs were between his now. "Tell me about this job of yours." I trailed a finger lightly down his jacket to play with the front zipper.

He followed my fingers down before looking up at me. "It was dangerous."

"Yeah?" I lowered my voice. "How so?"

"Well, my client was after this really rare item. But it wasn't exactly laying around for anyone to take, if you know what I mean."

I tried to play dumb so he would keep talking. I shook my head playfully and pouted my lips. "I don't know."

He chuckled, obviously thinking I was just some dumb girl. "Well sweetcheeks, let's just say the item had an owner. And so I had to be extra careful about retrieving it." He smirked into his drink before he took a swig.

"Wow!" I gasped, widening my eyes. "So, did you get it?"

"Not to worry, sugar. This guy always gets his prize." He put his drink down and grabbed my hand from where it was resting on his jacket. "Too bad I had to turn it over to my client. That piece of jewelry would have looked right at home on a dainty wrist like yours." His fingers started circling my wrist and I giggled before pulling my hand back.

"Whatcha' say you and me get out of here?" he cocked his eyebrow at me.

"I dunno…" I let my words trail off as I looked around the bar, trying to spot Gajeel. He was still sitting in the corner, slowly drinking his beer. Our eyes met for the briefest of seconds before I turned back to Hiroshi. "I promised a friend I would meet her here."

He wrapped his arm around one of my shoulders before saying, "I'm sure she'll understand if you had—better things to do," he smirked.

I blushed at his crude innuendo before trying to shake off his arm. "I really can't. I wouldn't want her to worry, and plus I promised I'd meet her here," I said, turning back to face the bar.

_"Come on, guy. Can't you get the message?"_

"Awe, sweetheart. Don't be like that." He moved to put his hand on my thigh, but before he got the chance, I heard a large hand smack down onto his shoulder.

"I think the lady said she's not interested." It was Gajeel's voice. I turned around to look up at him. He was standing just between us with his large hand splayed out roughly onto Hiroshi's shoulder.

The treasure hunter tried to buck Gajeel's hand off of him. "Look man," he turned to look at the intruder, "no one asked you, okay?"

Gajeel lifted his hand from the guy's shoulder and firmly grabbed onto my wrist. He threw some jewel down on the bar to cover both of our drinks before he said, "Come on, Lana, let's go." He started pulling me away from the bar.

"Do you even know this guy?" Hiroshi asked me.

I didn't know what to say. This wasn't the plan. Why was Gajeel acting this way? We had hit a home run with this guy in terms of information so why was he blowing our cover?

"I, uhh—" but before I could respond, Gajeel spoke up.

"I'm the friend she's meeting, let's go."

"Hey, wait a minute!" I heard Hiroshi shout before I was roughly pulled through the front door.

"Gajeel! That guy, I'm pretty sure he's the one that stole the bracelet! It was a job for a client through his guild," I explained quickly.

"I heard," he said, continuing to pull me alongside of him.

I wrenched my wrist free of his grasp and he turned around to try and grab me again. "Gajeel!" I yelled. "We can't afford to lose him."

"Hey!" That was Hiroshi's voice. I turned around to see he had come running out of the bar. I felt a whoosh as Gajeel strode past me. "You can't just—" but Hiroshi didn't have a chance to finish what he was going to say.

I turned to see Gajeel roughly throw him into the side of the bar. "The bracelet," he growled, "who'd you steal it for?"

"What?" Hiroshi looked around nervously. "I don't know what you're talking about man."

Gajeel grated his teeth before he pushed his forearm up to the hunter's neck. "One more time, who'd you steal the bracelet for?"

Hiroshi looked at me, "Lana, call off your dog would you?"

At hearing his words, Gajeel let the man drop to the ground before he planted a punch right on his jaw. Hiroshi fell to the floor, grasping his cheekbone. Gajeel squatted down and picked the man up by the scruff of his jacket. "Last chance before things get real serious. Who has the bracelet?"

"Alright man, alright. I'll tell you, just put me down." Gajeel let go of his jacket and both men stood. "No skin off my back, I already got paid anyways."

"Sometime today," Gajeel said through clenched teeth.

"All I know is the name of the client. Hono Proper. We good now?"

Gajeel turned around to look at me and I nodded. We could ask the old woman tomorrow if she recognized the name.

"So Lana-" Hiroshi drawled.

Gajeel's voice had an intense quiet to it as he spoke, "You better get _the fuck_ out of here, man."

Hiroshi stuck his hands in his pockets and bristled before returning to the bar. "Assholes," I heard him mutter under his breath.

"Gajeel I—" but I wasn't able to finish my sentence, as I quickly found myself being dragged behind him. He was walking with such a speed that I was having trouble keeping up. "Gajeel, I'm going to fall. Slow down!"

But I shouldn't have said anything because I found myself being thrown over his shoulder again, as he continued to almost run back to the hotel.

 _"What the hell has gotten into him?"_ I wondered. I called his name over and over but it didn't seem to be of any use. I looked down and noticed the pavement had changed, signaling we were back in the safer area of town. His steps began to slow and I said his name, softly this time.

He slowly lowered me off my shoulder but his hands never left me. I looked around briefly, realizing that we were on the corner near the hotel, standing under a street light.

He pulled me into his arms and I returned the embrace. I squeezed him tightly before I tried to break the hold but he wouldn't let me go. "Gajeel," I said his name again softly. "What's the matter?"

He burrowed his nose into my hair before he quietly spoke, "I couldn't stand seeing you flirting with that asshole."

I pushed against his arms and he let me break the hold just enough so I could look up into his eyes. "Gajeel, you know I wasn't into him. I was just doing it to get the information we needed."

He pulled me close again. "I know that," he ground out. "But I still couldn't control myself. When you touched him, I just about nearly lost it."

I nuzzled myself further into his chest and breathed in his scent. "No one's going to keep me away from you. I'm your Shrimp, remember?" I said playfully.

He let out a heavy sigh before saying, "and you're okay with that?"

I pulled back to look up into his eyes, "Yeah, I am."

As his lips sealed over mine, I couldn't help the thought that crept through my brain, _"I think I'm falling in love with this man."_

END CHAPTER 10

 


	11. Excitement

. . .

He pulled me close again. "I know that," he ground out. "But I still couldn't control myself. When you touched him, I just about nearly lost it."

I nuzzled myself further into his chest and breathed in his scent. "No one's going to keep me away from you. I'm your Shrimp, remember?" I said playfully.

He let out a heavy sigh before saying, "and you're okay with that?"

I pulled back to look up into his eyes, "Yeah, I am."

As his lips sealed over mine, I couldn't help the thought that crept through my brain, _"I think I'm falling in love with this man."_

. . .

But I didn't have time to fully think through my feelings. A voice sounded in the distance. "Well, isn't this just the perfect picture," it sneered.

Gajeel broke our kiss quickly and I turned around to face the voice. He pushed me behind him and crouched low, in the ready position.

"So sweet, I think I'm gonna get cavities," another voice snickered.

Three men finally came close enough to the streetlight so we could see their faces. "I thought I recognized you, _Gajeel_ of Fairy Tail." That was Hiroshi. His eyes were cold and he was carrying a large sword on his back.

Two men buffeted our previous acquaintance on either side. To the left was a tall, slender man with shoulder-lengthened silver hair. He wore a tight fitting black jacket and matching dark trousers. I noticed holes had been rubbed through the knees of his pants, as if he was constantly kneeling and getting up. A belt filled with large bullets circled his chest and a green headband, bearing the logo of the Sylph Labyrinth guild was around his forehead.

On the other side was a man, roughly the same height as Hiroshi. His rather large head was sporting a heavy grimace and his black hair circled all the way around his face in a heavy beard. He wore a brown sports coat and khaki pants, but what instantly caught my eye was the large, hand-shaped weapon he was sporting on his back.

"Gajeel," I whispered intently.

He kept his eyes locked forward on the three men as he spoke, "I know, so don't leave my side."

I nodded and stepped closer to him. The three men began to fan out, flanking us.

Gajeel spoke up, "Are you looking for another beat down?"

"Quite the contrary," Hiroshi responded with contempt. "My friends were kind enough to remind me that our client didn't want to be identified. So we're here to ensure your silence."

I kept my eyes on the man closest to me, the large one with the hand-shaped weapon. "Gajeel," I said without looking up. "If we start a brawl here, citizens could get hurt in the fray. We need to draw them away from the main street."

Gajeel's eyes were flitting between Hiroshi and the silver-haired man. "And where do you suggest we go?" he ground out.

I stole the quickest glance at my watch. _"1:23 A.M."_

"The train station. It will be deserted at this hour and it's only a few blocks away from here," I said quickly, training my eyes back on my closest opponent.

"On three," he whispered, "Run like your life depends on it. I'll follow behind you."

"Okay," I nodded, readying myself for the sprint.

"One, two, _three!"_ I turned around and ran as fast as I could towards Oshibana station. I didn't look back but I could hear Gajeel on my heels.

It took the three men a moment to realize what happened, but once they did, they chased after us. "You're not getting away that easy!" one of them shouted behind us.

I'd never run so fast in my entire life. I threw up a small prayer that I wouldn't trip in my sandals and tried to even my breathing so I wouldn't tire. I dared to look up and I saw the station just a block away. "We're almost there," I shouted to Gajeel.

"Just keep running!" he yelled back.

Finally, we began to cross the open plaza in front of the station. Within seconds, I was running between the stone columns that marked the station's entrance. I began to slow, but as I did, I felt Gajeel's hand close around my wrist before he tugged me behind a column. I was breathing heavy as he released my wrist. I looked up at him to see him bring a finger up to his lips. I nodded and tried to quiet my breaths.

Within thirty seconds we heard the footsteps of our assailants enter the station. I heard one set run up the stairs at the center entrance while the other two stopped near our position.

"Where'd they go?" Hiroshi sneered.

Gajeel turned to whisper in my ear. "Do you think you can hold off the hand guy while I deal with Hiroshi?"

I nodded. "Good, be careful. And I'll be watching your back if you need me. Lookout for Mr. Silver. He's run to the upper level."

"Got it," I said quietly.

"Good, now go!" Gajeel said and I ran out from behind the column. "Looking for me?" I yelled at the larger man.

"You little bitch!" Hiroshi yelled as he saw me appear from behind the column. He started to run towards me but his movements were halted when Gajeel stepped out from his hiding spot.

"That's no way to talk to a lady, pal." He crouched down and spread his legs wide. "Looks like I'll need to teach you some manners!" As he said the last words, he lunged at Hiroshi. The man barely jumped out of the way and Gajeel landed easily on his feet.

But I didn't have time to pay attention to their fight. I had an opponent of my own to deal with and I didn't know anything about him. "Listen tiny," his voice was harsh in my ears, "I don't like fighting weaklings like you. Just give up now and we'll go easy on you, ya dig?"

"And I'm not really interested in fighting block heads!" I taunted back at him.

I must have gotten him upset with the comment, because he started lunging at me with greater gusto, swinging his large weapon in big sweeps.

"Suit yourself! You're about to find out just how dangerous treasure hunters really are!" he said through clenched teeth.

I jumped back from his weapon and felt the swoosh it caused against my skin. _"I've got to end this quickly,"_ I thought.

I brought my arms across my body, in preparation for my spell. "Solid script magic: Fire!" I shouted, launching a fire attack straight for the large man.

I watched with wide eyes as his weapon formed an open hand in front of him, causing my spell to disappear. "What?" I exclaimed to myself.

"So I guess you haven't heard of me," he began. "I'm Rala of Sylph Labyrinth." He brought his weapon down in a fist form and I jumped quickly out of the way before it landed harshly into the ground. "And this here is my hammer, 'Stronger.'" He lifted the weapon into the air again and its fingers opened wide. "It's the ultimate defense." He moved it to the side and I wasn't quick enough this time. I felt the weapon's fingers close around my body and he lifted me into the air.

I felt my feet leave the ground and I pushed my arms down on its fingers, trying to wriggle my body from its tight grasp. "You're little magic won't work on it. Give up now, ya dig?" he goaded.

I tried to calm myself down for just a second so I could think of a solution. _"I can't use direct attacks, because he will just block them. So I've got to use my magic in a different way."_

A thought surfaced and I quickly cast my spell. "Solid script magic: Hole!" I yelled. Before Rala could anticipate, a hole opened up beneath him. Without solid ground under his feet, he tumbled to the bottom and just as I expected, the hand opened. I used it as leverage to jump out of the way, so I didn't end up in the pit as well.

I didn't give him a chance to recover. "Solid script magic: Water!" I cried out. I cast my spell downwards and water started filling the hole Rala was trapped in. He rose to the surface, flailing and gasping for breath. "So I guess you don't know how to swim, huh?" I taunted.

But I should have kept my mouth shut because I saw him use his weapon to grasp the side and start to pull himself up. He was almost to his feet, but before he got the chance, I cast one more spell.

"Solid script magic: Thunder!" Electricity sparked from where I was standing and when it met the mini lake I had created, Rala felt the full effects. He screamed out in pain as lightning surrounded his entire body and weapon. The fingers of his hammer splayed out and began to twitch, just like you'd expect of a real hand if its owner were being electrocuted.

I watched the large man and his larger weapon fall to the ground. I waited for the electricity to calm before I cancelled out the spells. I watched for any signs of movement from my assailant but saw none. When I was satisfied he wasn't a threat, I quickly approached him to check his pulse.

I put my fingers to his neck and felt his heartbeat. I breathed a sigh of relief before I turned to find Gajeel. A groan from Rala startled me and I jumped back. I quickly brought my arm across me and chanted, "Solid script magic: Cage!" A metal pen fell from the sky, encompassing Rala on all sides.

Without him to worry about, I turned around help Gajeel. But my partner was doing fine by himself. I looked to Hiroshi, who was a sweating mess. Gajeel was just as calm as ever. His arm had turned into an iron beam and his hair had escaped from its tie. He had a menacing look on his face as he walked slowly towards his opponent.

"Super stab!" Hiroshi wailed. His sword quickly extended in length, heading straight for Gajeel's chest. I sucked in a breath, about to yell out, but Gajeel just batted the weapon away with his iron arm.

"I'm getting real tired of dealing with your piece of scrap metal," Gajeel's voice was low. He lunged forward, catching Hiroshi's sword before he was able to withdraw it. Gajeel yanked it forward, causing his adversary to lose his balance and fall forward.

I watched as Gajeel took a huge bite right out of the sword's blade. Hiroshi's eyes widened in horror as he watched Gajeel crunch on his prized possession.

"What the fuck, man!" Hiroshi screamed at Gajeel, but Gajeel paid him no mind. He continued to wrench pieces out of the chain blade with a scowl on his face. He grimaced as he swallowed another bite. "This stuff is pretty nasty."

"Then stop eating it!" Hiroshi all but begged. "This blade's one of a kind. I lifted it from a museum years ago!"

"Ha!" Gajeel barked out a laugh with his mouth full. "No wonder! It tastes as old as dirt!"

Hiroshi had apparently had enough of his taunting. He lifted himself up from his kneeling position and charged at Gajeel. Gajeel was unfazed. He waited for the smaller man to approach. As Hiroshi lifted his right fist to throw a punch, the Dragonslayer simply grasped the inside of his wrist with his left hand. His movements were so fast, I barely saw him twist Hiroshi's wrist with his other hand before the man was sprawled out on the floor below him.

The swordsman groaned and looked as if he were about to get up. Gajeel looked down at him in disgust, turning his fist into an iron rod as he pelted him roughly on the side of his face. Hiroshi grabbed the side of his head and writhed on the floor in pain. Gajeel stepped away and I encased the hunter in a cage of his own.

Gajeel smirked and tapped the bars of the cage twice with his fingers before looking at me. "This wouldn't be iron, would it Shrimp?" But before I had a chance to respond, I found myself screaming Gajeel's name.

I watched as a bullet struck him square in the chest from somewhere above us. Time slowed as I watched my Dragonslayer fall roughly to the ground. I didn't have much time to process what had just happened though, as I felt a bullet whiz past my right ear. I immediately dropped to the ground as I felt tears welling up in my eyes.

I tried to wipe away the drops but they were forming so fast. I looked at Gajeel and all I could see was his lifeless form, still lying on the cold ground. I started to crawl towards him, but I didn't get far.

"Nuh uh-uh," I heard a voice chide from above me. "I think you'll stay right where you are, little miss. You've caused us enough trouble already." Bullets sprayed around me and all I could manage to do was scramble behind the nearest column. I looked out to Gajeel, still lying on the floor unprotected.

I watched in horror as the sharpshooter began filling his body with bullets. I cried out with so much pain, as if I were the one being hit. I couldn't believe it. This job was supposed to be simple. It wasn't supposed to be dangerous. _"I knew we shouldn't have taken this job. I'll never forgive myself for this! He can't be dead! I can't believe this!"_

Bullets scattered around me, hitting the column behind which I was crouched but I didn't care. As far as I saw it, I deserved to meet the same fate. I sobbed endlessly as the man above me laughed maniacally.

A deep laugh boomed throughout the platform. _"Wait a minute,"_ I lifted my head from my hands and tried to wipe away the tears that kept falling. _"That sounds like Gajeels laugh!"_

I turned to peek out from beneath the column to where Gajeel's body was supposed to be. But he wasn't there. I cast my gaze up and saw a Gajeel I barely recognized. It looked as if his entire body had turned to metal. His green shirt was still full of bullet holes, but there was no blood. His black mane was standing on end, as if he had touched a static ball and his entire body was emitting black tendrils.

"It's gonna take a lot more than a few metal bullets to put me six feet under," he chuckled. As he said the words, he turned and winked at me. His eyes were no longer the crimson I had come to know. Instead, they were an intense neon blue that glowed in the low lighting.

He turned back around to face the sniper. As he did so, he flexed so that his metallic muscles glistened in the dim lights. I gasped as I watched a dozen or so bullets push their way out of his skin and sprinkle themselves across the floor.

Gajeel raised his arms above his head and bellowed, "Is that the best you got?" I watched in awe as his metallic skin transformed again, this time into harsh scales. His fingernails elongated so he looked as if he had claws.

_"It doesn't look that way, he does have claws!"_

I covered my ears and brought my head to my knees as shots rang out again. When the sound stopped, I turned around, afraid of what I might see; only to hear the tinkling sound of bullets hitting the floor intermixed with Gajeels sonorous laughter.

"My turn." It was barely a whisper and then, he was gone. The only thing left in his place was a wisp of a dark cloud.

I tentatively crawled out from my hiding spot, ready to jump back in a moment's notice. I heard a man struggling for breath from the second floor and I looked up to see Gajeel, still in his enhanced form, with his hand squeezing the silver man's throat. He roughly slammed the man into the wall beside them and I grimaced as I realized there was no way he didn't break a few bones.

The Iron Shadow Dragonslayer allowed the man to crumple to the floor as he picked up his gun. "No, please!" the man tried to rasp out. "Not my rifle!"

Gajeel looked at him with an intense hatred before he grabbed onto the barrel of the gun with his other hand. He easily twisted the gun into a knot before he threw it back at the man. "That's for shooting at a woman," he scowled. He leaned down to pick the man up by the scruff of his shirt before clenching his fist and landing a punch right to his solar plexus. I watched as the man got the wind completely knocked out of him before Gajeel let him fall to his feet. "And that's for shooting at _my_ woman."

"Gajeel!" It was half a scream, half a cry. Tears were still falling from my eyes and I brought both palms up to roughly wipe away the moisture.

Before his name was even off my lips, I felt cold, unyielding arms wrapping around me tightly. He was still in his enhanced mode but I didn't care. I wrapped my arms tightly around his shoulders and he lifted me up effortlessly. My legs wound my way around his hips and I sobbed into the crook of his neck.

"I thought I lost you!" I wailed. "I couldn't bear it," I managed to sputter. I started to hiccup and I felt his skin warm around me. My sobs began to slow as he rubbed gentle circles across my back.

He tugged on my hair gently so that I was looking into his once-again red gaze. "I told you, I'm not going anywhere," he declared in his orotund voice.

I don't know what came over me. Logic, reason, rationality, none of them meant a damn thing to me anymore. I didn't care that our tryst had only started a few days before and I didn't care that I didn't know everything there was to know about this man. I only knew what I felt and there was no doubt in my mind.

But before I could tell him how I felt, before I could tell him that I _loved_ him, his lips were on mine. His tongue thrust fiercely into my mouth and circled my own. He walked forward a few steps and my breath left me as I collided with the stone column that had previously been my shield. His hands moved from my knees up my thighs to roughly palm my full backside.

He broke the kiss as his teeth descended to the crook of my neck. He nipped harshly at my skin before sucking some in forcefully. I knew it was going to leave a visible mark the next day, but in the heat of the moment, I couldn't have cared less. I felt him rock his hips into me and I could feel how solid he was beneath his pants.

His hands moved from my ass to underneath my shirt. Just before he cupped my breast, shuffling from above us broke us out of our preoccupation. Gajeel brought his hands down from my shirt with a sigh and carefully placed me on the ground. I placed my hands wide on the column behind me to steady myself. Before I even got my bearings, Gajeel was gone.

"SHIT!" I heard his voice ring out from above us. "He's gone!" he yelled, before he appeared in front of me again, wisps of black smoke rising from his skin.

"What should we do?" I looked around worriedly.

"Call the authorities to come pick up these two," he nodded to Hiroshi and Rala in their cages. "I'm going to see if I can't sniff the third one out."

"Right!" I formed a fist in front of my face and pumped my arm down.

I gasped as Gajeel roughly grabbed me around the waist, pulling me into him. "Wait for me here," he breathed in my ear, before kissing my cheek. Before I could even blush, he was gone.

I looked around the platform and spotted a communication lacrima a few meters ahead. I ran over to it and placed my hand on it before speaking, "Emergency!"

. . .

By the time the authorities came and arrested Hiroshi and Rala, Gajeel had returned. He looked upset and I could tell the news wasn't good.

"Any luck?" I asked him hesitantly.

"The fucker ran off into the woods. There were too many scents and I lost him," Gajeel seethed.

"It's okay," I rubbed his arm soothingly. His fists were clenched at his side but I continued regardless. "We'll give the authorities his description and I'm sure they'll be able to locate him."

"Dammit!" Gajeel's temper flared and he hammer fisted the column next to us. I winced as I saw where he left a mark.

"Gajeel," I said, putting my hands up to his cheek so he would look at me. Our eyes made contact and he seemed to deflate a little, "It's okay. We're both okay and that's what matters."

He let his head drop into the crook of my neck and he held me close. I felt him take a deep breath before he spoke. "I know he'll come after us and I don't want to risk you getting hurt again."

I ran my fingers through his thick hair before I pulled back. I leaned my head down. "Gajeel, look at me. I'm fine. I didn't get hurt at all!"

He lifted his hand to rub the back of his neck before he let out a half-hearted laugh. "I guess you're right, Shrimp. You certainly held your own against that Hand Job."

I giggled brightly at his crude joke and he seemed to perk up even more, letting out a laugh with me. "Come on, Baby-blue," he winked, "Let's get back to the hotel. I think we've both had enough excitement for one night."

It was my turn to wink at him. "I don't think I'd ever turn down a little bit more of your excitement."

He let out his signature laugh before he drawled, "You should know by now, there's nothing little about my excitement."

I sighed. _"He's so right…"_

END CHAPTER 11

 


	12. The Retelling

. . .

"Come on, Baby-blue," he winked, "Let's get back to the hotel. I think we've both had enough excitement for one night."

It was my turn to wink at him. "I don't think I'd ever turn down a little bit more of your excitement."

He let out his signature laugh before he drawled, "You should know by now, there's nothing little about my excitement."

I sighed. _"He's so right…"_

. . .

Upon seeing the door to our hotel room, 314 instantly became my new favorite number. Gajeel swiped the card to open the door and I all but fell through the opening.

I saw my nightgown on my bag where I had left it that morning and without a thought towards modesty, I stripped down to my panties and threw it over my head before collapsing on the bed.

"Thanks for the show," Gajeel chuckled, but I was far too exhausted to pay any attention to his teasing. I pushed myself up on all fours and crawled towards the top of the bed so I could enter its sweet embrace.

As I lifted the covers, I heard Gajeel growl behind me. "Dammit Levy. Do you have to flaunt that perfect backside of yours at me when I'm too tired to do anything about it?"

I blushed, realizing the position I was in but fatigue overcame embarrassment as I crawled into the covers. "So…tired," I managed to sigh.

I felt the bed depress to my right and I cracked my eye open to see a half naked Gajeel climbing into the bed with me. He had stripped down to his briefs at some point and his hair was a tangled mess. He looked so wild and if I had enough energy to operate a brain cell, I would have committed the scene of such a male climbing into bed with me to memory.

He wasn't shy and I didn't fight it; he pulled me close and tangled his legs with mine. I sighed in contentment as I placed my head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat.

His hands traveled south from my shoulders and across the sides of my breasts. One hand continued over the swell of my hips to cup my ass while the other one gently palmed one breast. I moaned quietly, loving the tingling feeling he was causing in my body but hating the fact that I wasn't awake enough to truly enjoy it.

"Fuck, there's so many things I want to do to you, Blue," he growled as he massaged my rear.

I hummed and nuzzled myself into him further. I remembered how fierce he had looked in his enhanced form just an hour beforehand and I'm not embarrassed to say that I felt my panties dampen at the memory. I tangled my legs further with his and breathed deep his scent. His metallic aroma was stronger than normal but I also detected a hint of something else on him. It was strangely reminiscent of a full moon on a dark night.

We both exhaled and he spoke, "I just wish I had the energy right now."

"Me too," I managed to murmur before we both passed out.

. . .

I awoke to the feeling of soft lips on my neck. I wasn't completely awake but I was conscious enough to know that it felt amazing. I groaned and arched my head to the side to give Gajeel a larger canvas.

He smirked against my skin before sucking a section into his mouth roughly. His tongue lathed my skin with attention and I moaned my appreciation. One hand twisted its way around my waist while the other trailed up my thigh first, then over my stomach before he finally drew circles around my petite breast.

"Mornin'," he smirked at me when I finally cracked my eyes open. I smiled and arched myself into his touch. "Remember all those things I wanted to do to you last night?"

I hummed my response.

"Well, I've finally got the life back in me." As he said the words, he rocked his hips into my core and I felt just what he meant. He truly had come to life—all of him.

I licked my lips before I spoke, "Is this a dream, Gajeel?" I won't lie, I was a little unsure if I was having another vivid wet dream or if I was really being caressed awake by one of the sexiest men alive.

He moved his nose down to nuzzle the junction between my neck and shoulder blade before he spoke. "Have sex with me, Levy," he spoke the words before lightly nipping at the spot.

I froze in his arms before I immediately sputtered, "Gajeel! No!" _"What a bold thing to ask of a woman. We've only been intimate for a few days now! Does he think I'm just some harlot that's going to give it up so easy?"_

He let go of the spot with his teeth before he licked it with his tongue. "Well, I know I'm not dreaming," he chuckled.

"How's that?" he had me moaning again as his other hand was caressing the back of my thigh.

He pushed his body further into mine and I felt the warmth of his chest against my own. It felt amazing and I arched myself to try and increase the contact. "Because, in my dreams, all we do is fuck."

His crude words caused shivers to pass through me and they all settled right in my core. "Oh yeah," I teased back. "Tell me about it." I surprised myself by how bold I was being but I couldn't help it; Gajeel was slowly turning me into a raging sex kitten.

He let out one of his signature laughs. "Well, I've fucked you on the bed…" His words trailed off and he pressed a soft kiss on my neck.

I moaned as his lips caressed my neck, barely making contact. "Yeah?" I husked.

He hummed before continuing, "I've bent you over the dresser," he said before pressing a kiss on my collarbone.

I could feel my arousal between my thighs as he continued. "And I've ravished you in the shower." He gently pulled the spaghetti strap of my nightgown down my shoulder to expose my left breast. My nipple puckered in the cold air before he drew a circle around the tip with his tongue.

I was so turned on by him at this point that I couldn't help the words that slipped from my mouth, "I've dreamed of doing you in the shower, too."

"Oh yeah?" he lifted an eyebrow before gently blowing on my nipple. The cold air felt amazing against my heated skin and he had me moaning his name. "Tell me about it," he said before he sealed his lips over mine.

I let myself fall into him once again, grasping him firmly around the back of his neck and letting him dominate the kiss the way I loved. He broke our contact before he continued, "Tell me how I fucked you." The words dripped of his tongue. I felt him rest his chin on my partially exposed chest and I cracked one eye open to peer down at him.

I was finally starting to feel the embarrassment I should have felt— _"I have no idea how long we've been at this now"—_ an indeterminate amount of time ago. I brought my hands up to my face and covered it with my palms.

"Levy," my name was a whisper on his lips. I brought my hands down so I could see his face clearly. "I think you are so fucking sexy like this," he continued. "So don't be embarrassed."

He let his face fall and placed a gentle kiss at the center of my bosom. I let out a shaky breath. I tried to calm the alarm bells in my mind and just concentrate on how beautiful Gajeel made me feel.

"Well," I began in a soft voice. "I stripped down before stepping into the shower."

 _"I can't believe I am going to tell him about this dream!"_ I internally gushed.

I felt Gajeel's hands start to travel underneath my nightgown. His hands were firm on my skin and I shivered at the contact. Before I knew it, he had lifted the nightgown above my head so that I was bare except for my panties.

He hummed before husking, "Completely naked?"

All I could manage to do was nod my head slowly. I felt his fingers travel down the side of my naked body, just barely brushing the edge of my breast. I closed my eyes and tried to allow myself to get lost in the feeling of his hands on me. I felt his thumb slip below the waistband of my panties and I instantly felt my eyes open wide.

But all I could see were his eyes on me. They had such a look of lust and passion that I found myself instantly easing into him. "Shh," he caressed the side of my face with his before he brought his lips up to my ear. "Just relax. You are completely in control."

I hummed my agreement and allowed him to slide my panties off my legs. I lifted my hips in the air briefly to assist him. As he let the small slip of material travel down my legs, he didn't miss the chance to caress my stems the entire way down.

"Keep going," he whispered before he licked the edge of my ear. "You were naked, in the shower."

I moaned as I felt his fingers travel back up one of my legs before it rested gently on one of my hips. "And then you entered and I could see all of you." I thought back to how he looked in my dream.

I opened my eyes as I felt Gajeel slowly lift himself off my body. I shivered as his warmth left me but I soon found myself heating up. He threw me a sideways grin as he slowly lowered his briefs down and off his body. His manhood sprang free from its clothed cage and I couldn't help but lick my lips at the sight of him.

He was even better than I remembered. That cocky grin of his, his deliciously sculpted body, all culminating in the most beautiful, smooth cock I had ever seen or wanted to see. He was truly an Adonis.

He lowered his form back down on mine and I moaned at how wonderful it felt to fully feel Gajeel's naked body against mine. His manhood rubbed against my thigh and I had to stop myself from reaching down the caress it.

His breath was hot in my ear and he whispered so softly, "So, we're naked in the shower…"

"And then you started to kiss me—" but before I could even finish the entire thought, his lips were on mine. His tongue pressed into my mouth and he tasted all of me before he brought it back to caress my own. His hands were on the small of my back and he was rocking his hips into me so that his fully erect rod was rubbing against the inside of my thigh.

I moaned into his mouth and he climbed on top of me. I let my arms fall from his shoulders to his biceps and I allowed myself to fully feel the intense power in each of his arms. His movements slowed as I let my fingers trace circles around the studs in each forearm.

He finally broke the kiss that left us both panting. Through somewhat labored breaths, he spoke, "Then?"

I moved my hands down the small space between us, allowing myself to feel his broad chest and amazing core before I traced the lines down to his member. I nibbled my lower lip before looking up at him with half lidded eyes. I gently grasped onto his erection and his breath hitched as I caressed him with my fingertips.

"And then," I nearly moaned as I wrapped my fingers around his impressive tool, "I stroked you as you sucked my tits."

"Shit, Levy," Gajeel groaned before he latched onto one of my puckered tips. My eyes squeezed shut and I threw my head back into the pillow, almost as if I was reliving the dream. His other hand moved up from my hips and he passed his palm over the neglected tip. I nearly screamed at his touch and my mind almost went blank when he began to tweak the tip between his thumb and index finger while his tongue drew circles around its twin.

I increased the speed of my movements and he growled as I brought his foreskin up over his flared head. I pumped him down and relished the feeling of how hard he was underneath his smooth skin.

His head pulled back from one breast only to perform the same movements on the other. My cunt was throbbing and the realization of what we were doing only served to turn me on even more.

His movements stopped and he pulled back. His breathing was heavy and he asked between labored breaths. "Then what?" Our eyes made contact. His crimson orbs had such an intense passion burning in their depths.

I knew if I said it, he would do it. I was in control, like he told me. Old, shy, cautious Levy would never have said what I was about to say. My old self wouldn't have even been able to handle getting naked with this man. But I wasn't my old self anymore. In just the span of a few days, Gajeel had managed to crack me open and a newer, more confident person had emerged from the walls I had encased myself in.

I continued to pump him in my hand and I watched as he let his head fall onto my stomach, clearly trying to hold back his impending release. "Your fingers," I panted. "You made me come so hard, Gajeel!" I moaned.

His eyes widened at my words and he brought his face up to mine. His thin lips pressed a small kiss against my cheek before he caressed the spot. One of his hands slowed my movements by gently grabbing onto my wrist. "Gotta slow down, or I'm not gonna be able to get you there," he husked.

I nodded but I didn't have much time to process what he had said. He lifted his hand up to my face. He placed one finger on my chin and slowly dragged it down my chest, adding more fingers on his descent. I shivered with increased arousal. By the time he reached the top of my trimmed, blue curls, I knew I was drenched. I could feel the moisture sliding down my thighs, just waiting for him to enter me.

His head burrowed itself into the crook of my neck and he breathed in deep before he slowly let his fingers caress my womanhood. His touch was soft at first, just playful caresses on my lower lips. He had me writhing from his touch already and I moaned his name.

"Oh my god, Levy. You're dripping wet. You feel amazing," his deep voice reverberated in my ear.

But my senses were on overload and I could barely hear what he had said, being so preoccupied with what he was doing. I felt one finger finally slide between my lips and I gasped as it lightly passed over my clit before it continued its way to my entrance.

I felt his lips smirk against my neck and he brought his finger back up, passing over my bundle of nerves without stopping for a second time. He was teasing me and I could barely handle it. I felt about ready to burst.

His fingers finally found their way back down to my entrance. He let one finger slowly circle the edges of my opening. I was panting hard now, trying to keep my movements slow and even on his shaft.

The feeling of him touching me in the most intimate of places while I did the same was intoxicating. I don't think I could ever tire of this man or just what he could do to me.

Slowly, I felt his index finger slide into my warmth. He let it circle inside me and I gasped at the sensation. His thumb pressed into my clit and he had me nearly screaming his name already.

His thumb started to trace soft circles around my pearl as he pushed his index finger to the top of my entrance. His finger was slow at first, arcing its way up before pressing into me firmly as he made a "come hither" motion inside me. His body was propped up against mine and the top of me was resting on his other arm. I felt totally engrossed by his presence and I couldn't get enough of it. There wasn't another thought on my mind but Gajeel.

I moaned his name before I managed to speak, "More." I would have blushed but who was I kidding, I wanted all of him for myself and I was no longer embarrassed to admit that.

I felt him growl against my ear before he pressed his thumb into me harder and increased the speed of its circuit. "Fuck, Levy," he ground out as he slowly added a second digit to the first.

There was no mistaking it, Gajeel was a large man, in many ways. Everything about him felt enormous compared to my small frame, including his fingers. So I won't lie and tell you that the second intrusion didn't hurt the slightest of bits when he entered me, but given how aroused I was, I really didn't pay it much thought.

He started to press his two digits into that spongy spot inside me, almost to the point where he was lifting me off the bed. His thumb was moving fast against me now and I could feel my release building. "Gajeel!" My hand left his shaft and I grabbed onto whatever part of him I could to try and anchor myself.

I could feel my walls starting to clench slightly around his fingers. My back arched off the bed so that my chest lifted into the air. His mouth latched onto one of my pebbled tips and he nipped at it lightly with his teeth. The small amount of pain mixed with the intense pleasure I was feeling put me on the edge.

What pushed me off were the words he spoke when he let go of my tit, "Come for me. _Only_ for me," he roared.

And I did. I flew off the edge of my high and I felt like I was floating. An intense heat spread throughout my body and I felt it from my fingers to my toes. My walls clenched hard around his fingers and he kept the digits firmly pressed against that spot.

I finally started to descend. My walls began to pulse my release. With each beat, warmth spread throughout my body anew, all originating from my core. I heard a woman's voice before I realized it was me, moaning my release.

When my senses began to return to my body, I realized I had completely sweated through the sheets. I could feel moisture everywhere my body made contact with the bed, but I didn't care. My core was still clenching slightly and I felt as if I had just shot to heaven and back.

I finally let out a shaky breath as my heartbeat slowed. I felt Gajeel's lips seal over mine in a searing kiss. I brought one hand up to wrap around his muscled shoulders and I brought the other back down to his still solid rod.

I began to pump him again, with vigor. I pushed on his chest so he was sprawled out flat on the bed and it was my turn to prop myself up against his warmth. I lay there next to him, with my chest pressing into his as his one hand wrapped around me and palmed my ass.

I tangled my legs with his and continued my motions. He threw his head back into the pillow before letting out a low moan. I could feel the tension in his muscles building and I moved myself down his form so that I was kneeling between his outstretched legs.

"Oh, Gajeel," I moaned. He lifted his head to see me in my new position and he let out a heavy breath before his head hit the pillow again.

I felt his manhood start to swell in my hand and I knew his release was imminent. I sealed my lips over the tip of his tool and that was enough to do him in. He pushed me down onto his rod. I felt his hot seed hit the back of my throat before he moaned my name. I continued to pump him gently with my hand as his cock pulsed against my tongue.

When he finally had given me everything he had, I pulled up just enough so I could swallow his essence, before I moved my head back down to clean him with my tongue.

Once I was satisfied I had gotten every drop, I released him from my grasp and crawled up next to him. I curled myself into his broad chest as he turned to face me. His fingers were on my chin and he brought my head up so he could kiss me gently on the forehead.

We didn't need words at that point. The both of us were just basking in the afterglow of our amazing tryst. I curled back into him as he turned into me. He brought both arms around my small frame as he tucked my legs beneath one of his.

We laid there, the both of us a panting, sweating, but satisfied tangle of limbs until our breathing evened.

Finally, I felt myself being lifted so that I was laid out with my chin on his chest. I placed my arms underneath my head so I could look at his beautiful angled features and I felt him kick the sheet up from where it had fallen to the bottom of the bed with his feet to cover us.

He gave me a crooked smile and I blushed under his gaze. He finally cleared his throat and spoke, "So, how 'bout that shower?"

I giggled as I let my face fall into my hands. _"This man…"_

END CHAPTER 12


	13. The Bandana

. . .

We laid there, the both of us a panting, sweating, but satisfied tangle of limbs until our breathing evened.

Finally, I felt myself being lifted so that I was laid out with my chin on his chest. I placed my arms underneath my head so I could look at his beautiful angled features and I felt him kick the sheet up from where it had fallen to the bottom of the bed with his feet to cover us.

He gave me a crooked smile and I blushed under his gaze. He finally cleared his throat and spoke, "So, how 'bout that shower?"

I giggled as I let my face fall into my hands. _"This man…"_

. . .

"Hono Proper," I said the name out loud. "Why does that name sound so familiar to me?" I tapped my index finger against my lips.

Save for my musings, we had been walking in relative silence to the client's house. Gajeel had been on edge since we left the hotel. When I tried to ask him what was the matter, he said he was still thinking about the sharpshooter.

_"I'm sure he's long gone by now," I said as I organized my bag._

_Gajeel grunted as he sat on the edge of the bed. "I wouldn't be too sure about that. We got his two friends arrested and we're about to oust the name of a client on, at the very least, conspiracy. I don't think we've seen the last of this guy, yet." His voice was low and menacing._

_I shivered slightly, thinking back to the night before. Watching that man fill Gajeel with holes still almost brought tears to my eyes. I know now that something like that couldn't affect him, but the idea of him not being around was something I didn't want to deal with._

Our footsteps echoed on the cobblestones and I found myself getting lost in the memories of that evening.

 _"I was really about to tell him I loved him,"_ I recalled. _"I was so sure of it at that moment. I know I still feel the same way but, I don't know how to do this."_ My mind was starting its familiar internal panic.

_"What if I say it and he rejects me? I know what Cana said but there's still a chance that he doesn't feel the same way, right? Or maybe he does but just not at that level yet. It's all happening so fast and I can't even make sense of what I'm feeling."_

I felt fingers trail along my arm before grabbing onto my wrist. I looked down and followed Gajeel's hand up to his body. He was giving me a cocky grin and I realized I had tried to walk right past the client's house.

"What's got you in a tizzy," he chided.

"Like you don't know," I huffed.

He chuckled and pulled me close before he pressed the buzzer. I felt him kiss the top of my head before he said, "It's really not that complicated."

A voice on the other end of the intercom stopped him from finishing his thought. Gajeel identified us and the gate opened to allow us entry.

"Come on," he said, giving my backside the slightest pat, "We'll talk about everything after."

I blushed before I smiled up at him. I nodded before we greeted Melinda at the front door.

We sat with her and her grandmother in the sitting area. Gajeel continued to impress me as I listened to him give the client all the relevant details of our investigation. He informed her that the thief and one partner had been arrested but regretted that the last of the three had managed to escape.

I tried to hide my blush as I remembered just _why_ the last of the three had been able to escape.

"Did you say Hono Proper?" the grandmother brought one hand to her mouth.

"Yes, ma'am. Do you recognize this name?" I inquired.

"I do!" She was starting to look queasy and Melinda gently held one of her hands on her lap in comfort.

"That is the name of the shop owner who was in charge of selling the bracelet for us," the younger girl informed us. "Hono Proper," she repeated his name. "He owns the magic shop, Proper Grocer, in Hargeon."

"That's right," I exclaimed, as I finally made the connection. "Lu told me that she had bought a silver gate key from that very man before joining Fairy Tail."

I turned my attention to Gajeel, "We should alert the authorities immediately. Hopefully the silver man hasn't had time to notify him yet."

Gajeel grunted in agreement. "Do you have a communication lacrima here?" he asked the pair.

"Melinda," the grandmother said, regaining some of the color in her face. "Please show the wizards to the lacrima so they can alert the authorities. I'll wait for you here."

We followed the younger girl through the house before she finally brought us to a large, wooden staircase. After reaching the summit, we turned right and found ourselves in the upstairs portion of the windowed turret. I marveled at what was in front of me. The walls were covered in floor to ceiling bookcases, with ladders that ran along the height of each wall.

I looked forward and noticed a good-sized pedestal table surrounded by comfortable chairs, no doubt for studying. Off to the side was a small nightstand with the communication lacrima perched on top.

I so wanted to stop and look through all the titles but I knew now was not the time. We approached the crystal and I stepped forward before placing my hand on the ball. I noticed that there was a small layer of dust on the orb, as if to signal that it was rarely used. "Hargeon Police Department." I spoke the words clearly and within a few seconds, a voice sounded on the other end of the line.

It took about two, tense hours before we finally heard back from the Hargeon police. But it was worth the wait. They informed us that the old man had been apprehended and the bracelet had been recovered.

We offered to retrieve the bracelet from the Hargeon police and bring it back, but the grandmother waived off our offer. "I won't have you traveling all over Fiore on my behalf. Besides, this will give me an excuse to visit Akane Resort. After all this drama, I think I'm in need of a little getaway!"

We voiced our understanding but reiterated that if she should change her mind, all she would need to do is contact the guild and one of us would happily make the trip for her.

. . .

"I can't believe she paid us 100,000 jewel!" I exclaimed to Gajeel as we walked back to the hotel. "That was so generous of her!"

Gajeel shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe," he was looking around again. "But you did write those runes around her place. That would have cost her a pretty penny had she hired that job out herself."

"I know, but I just couldn't leave her unprotected like that," I sighed.

Gajeel smiled down at me and gave me a wink before he said, "That's cause you're a good person."

I blushed at his kind words. Before my mind could start up on its internal abstraction, I spoke up. "So what now? Back to Magnolia?"

Gajeel brought up a hand to roughly rub it over his face and through his hair. He groaned, "Which means back on the train."

I giggled softly at his reaction.

"Wait a minute," he brought his hand down and grabbed onto both my shoulders. "I just realized, I've got a cure with me." He winked at me mischievously.

"Gajeel!" I playfully batted at his hands. "That was a one time thing!"

He lifted his hand to brush hair away from my ear. His other hand tensed on my shoulder before he guided me into his form. "I'm not against getting on my knees and begging," he whispered softly.

His breath tickled my ear and I found myself blushing all over again. "Besides," he continued, "I know all sorts of tricks from that position."

I couldn't help it. Images of me pressed against a wall with him between my legs on his knees in front of me flashed across my brain.

A chuckle from the hulking man in front of me brought my brain out of its haze. "Oh, you've got it bad, don't you Blue?"

_"Shit. He's right. I so do."_

. . .

Back at the hotel, we busied ourselves with packing our bags so we could check out and make it on the next train to Magnolia. There were only two a day and we had about two hours before the second one left in the afternoon.

"Levy have you seen my—" Gajeel turned around to look at me and I snickered at his stunned reaction. I had found his red zigzag headband lying next to my bag and I had swapped out my orange one for his.

I looked at him with wide, innocent eyes. "What is it you're looking for?"

"Oh, you're playing with fire," he smirked as he started to walk towards me.

I laughed before I moved to the other side of the bed. "Huh? Is Natsu here?" I said in a mock tone.

"I ain't messin' around, Shrimp," his voice was low but I could see he had the dusting of a smile across his lips.

"Neither am I," I laughed. He lunged around to my side of the bed but I quickly threw myself forward and bounced safely to the other side. "Finders keepers!"

He growled playfully at me from the other side of the bed. I turned to run towards the bathroom, but he was too quick. I barely got inside the small room before he was there, caging me against the door.

I looked up at him with wide eyes. I bit my lower lip before I said, "So what happens now?"

His arms encased me on either side and he leaned his head in close so I could feel his breath on my face. "What do you call," he whispered slowly, "a girl who steals things?"

I was still panting from my brief sprint. I shuffled my feet a bit and looked around to see if I had any chance at escaping. He had me, literally, completely surrounded.

I didn't respond so he continued. "Oh, you don't know?" he goaded. "See, I call that a _bad_ girl." I tried to duck under his arms but he was fast. He had me around the waist and I quickly found myself being hoisted up onto his shoulder. He took several large bounds before he threw me down on the bed.

"And you know what happens to bad girls?" he drawled as he approached my sprawled out form from the foot of the bed.

I was starting to feel a mixture of nervousness and excitement growing inside me. I shook my head from side to side slowly.

He put his hands on the bed, followed by his knees as he slowly crawled towards me. I backed up as much as I could but I soon found myself against the headboard and he was on top of me.

His lips were on my ear, nibbling it before he finally growled, "They get punished."

I gasped as his hands quickly grabbed me around the waist. I lost my sense of balance as I rapidly found myself turned upside down with him sitting underneath me.

I couldn't decide if I was panicked or excited at the position I was in. Whatever I was feeling, I was definitely in a compromising pose. I had decided to wear my short skirt and orange top today of all days, so my backside was mostly exposed for him as I was bent over his knee.

I felt his hand gently caress me from the back of my knee before he slowly brought it up against my backside. He squeezed the rounded flesh before he quietly spoke, "Any last words, Blue?"

"Viva la revolucion!" I shouted with mirth. But my laughter quickly turned into a gasp as Gajeel's powerful hand drew back and smacked me across the cheek.

I don't know what came over me but I realized that him doing this to me turned me on, like a lot. _"Oh god, this is so embarrassing. But I'm kind of into it!"_

I felt his hand rub the spot as he chuckled. His warmth left my flesh and before I knew it, his hand came down, extracting the same punishment on my other cheek. I moaned his name before rubbing my thighs together to get some friction to the area. I felt like someone had taken control of my body when I lifted my ass up, as if begging him for more.

I turned around to look at him with lusty eyes and I saw a look of shock on his face. But the expression quickly faded into a smug smile. "This is supposed to be a _punishment_ ," he droned. "You're not supposed to enjoy it."

I blushed and let my head fall between my shoulders. I stared at the comforter between where my elbow were propping my body up. "I can't help it," I admitted. "You get me going like never before."

"I think you're satisfactorily repentant," he simpered. Large hands wrapped around my waist once more and I found myself with my back being pushed into the mattress by his dominating frame.

His lips were on mine in a fierce kiss. I groaned as he rocked his hips into me and I opened my mouth to feel his tongue against mine. I brought my knees up so that he was lying between my spread legs. His hands felt like they were everywhere on me all at once. Once again, he had totally consumed me with his energy.

And then it was gone. I opened my eyes to see him towering above me on his knees at the end of the bed. He had a devious grin on his face and what I saw on his hand made me instantly pout.

He twirled the red bandana around his fingers as he chuckled above me. "Lesson one: never take your eyes off the enemy," he joked.

I sat myself up on the bed and crossed my arms across my chest. I pursed my lips together and furrowed my brow. "Gajeel," I whined.

He looked so proud of himself, still smirking at me from his position above me. "That's not fair!"

"Oh?" he cocked an eyebrow at me before he let the bandana fall around his wrist. "How so?"

I pointed a finger up at him, "You seduced me with that body of yours!"

My words only caused him to broaden his grin and he let out his signature laugh. "Damn right," he sniggered.

"But," I started to say before trailing off. My arms were crossed back over my chest again.

"But what?" he leaned forward and raised his brow.

I couldn't look him in the eye so I turned to sit on the edge of the bed, still in a huff. "But, I liked wearing it," I admitted softly.

I felt movement behind me and I had to quickly uncross my arms as the bed bounced up as he stood beside me. His silence caused me to look up and what I saw made me blush. He was standing there, with his arm outstretched in my direction. At the end of his hand was the bandana.

 _"He's letting me have it?"_ I wondered. I reached out tentatively to take it from him, but as I did, his hand closed over mine. He pulled me in close to him so my front was facing his.

I looked up as he began to tie the cloth around my head. When he had finished, he kissed the top of my head sweetly. "There, it's yours now."

I brought my hand up to touch the piece of fabric. I knew it was silly to get all giddy over a small square of cotton, but I couldn't help it. My eyes were back on his. "Really?"

He nodded his head before he wrapped me in a tight hug. "Now you can wear it as much as you like."

I reached my arms up to pull his head down to my level. I kissed him as passionately as I could. When I finally broke the contact, I looked into his red gaze before saying, "It's the best gift I ever got."

His lips quirked up into a genuine smile and I couldn't help but mirror him. "Come on, Blue. You can show me how thankful you are on the train ride home."

And there it was again, his signature laugh.

 


	14. A Goddamn Minute

. . .

I looked into his red gaze before saying, "It's the best gift I ever got."

His lips quirked up into a genuine smile and I couldn't help but mirror him. "Come on, Blue. You can show me how thankful you are on the train ride home."

And there it was again, his signature laugh.

. . .

"Oh darn! When did it start raining?" I thought aloud. I hadn't noticed inside the hotel room but there was a pretty heavy downpour well underway when we stepped outside the building.

I brought my arms up and was about to say a spell to shelter us but Gajeel stopped me. "Don't," his voice was quiet. "It will make us a huge target if that guy is still in town looking for us."

I knew he was right but I hated the idea of walking in the rain. We started walking quickly to the train station, trying our best to keep to the sides of the buildings so we wouldn't catch all of the droplets.

"Gajeel," I called out his name before turning around to look at him. "Let's go in here quick." I pointed to the corner drugstore we passed, about two blocks from the hotel. "We can grab some food and umbrellas."

Gajeel grunted his acceptance and I ducked into the building. Once protected from the rain, I brought my hand up to tussle my locks, trying to get out as much moisture as possible. I felt a small spray hit me and I looked up, to see Gajeel shaking himself off as if he were an animal.

"Gajeel!" I huffed, patting my clothes from the extra water.

His movements stopped and he cracked an eye at me. "Whoops," he chuckled. "Sorry 'bout that, Blue. Just went on automatic."

I rolled my eyes at him before I laughed. "Well I guess we wouldn't want you to rust!" I grabbed a hand basket before skipping my way over to the center of the store. Gajeel stayed planted at the entrance, looking slightly stunned by my teasing comment.

 _"Aisle 5: crackers, chips, nuts. Good! I can grab us some more reasonably priced food for the ride here."_ I ran my finger along the shelves, placing an assortment of items into my basket. _"Now where would umbrellas be?"_ I headed towards the back of the store, only to find myself in the first aid section.

Something caught my eye as I walked through. I picked up the small bottle. _"Diphenhydramine. Use as directed to prevent and treat nausea, vomiting and dizziness caused by motion sickness. May cause drowsiness. Oh I am definitely getting this."_

I threw the bottle into my basket before I found the umbrellas on the back wall. Grabbing the largest one, I walked back to the entrance to pay.

"This is much better!" I smiled up at him from my dry place under the large umbrella. He returned mine with a small smile of his own before his eyes were back to scanning the street.

He was still on edge about the sniper having gotten away. He wouldn't let me go anywhere without him. While I appreciated the sentiment, I wasn't sure how it was all going to play out when we get back to the guild. _"Oh well,"_ I thought. _"Time enough to figure that out later."_

I startled myself when I realized that I was able to actually put an issue to the side without getting totally engrossed in all the worst-case scenarios.

"We're here." His words startled me and I looked up to see that we had, indeed, arrived at the train station. Once we were under the building's protection, Gajeel closed the umbrella and shook it out before handing it to me.

"Come on," he looked down at me and winked. "Let's grab our tickets."

I hummed in agreement before I followed him to the ticket counter.

A few minutes later found us on the train, in our own private compartment at the back. This train was slightly different than our last. It still sported red tufted benches, but time there were two—one on each side—with a collapsible table in between.

"Looks like we got here a little early," I said to him as I looked down at my wrist. The train wasn't scheduled to leave for another twenty or so minutes. He grunted as he looked around the compartment.

I busied myself with putting away our luggage so it wouldn't fall on us during the trip. I kept the bags with the snacks from the drugstore on the opposite bench so we didn't have to fish for it.

I jumped when I felt a large presence behind me. "Now about that thank you," it whispered in my ear. I squeaked as I felt strong hands wrap around my waist and pull me into its form.

I turned around in his embrace and looked up into Gajee's red eyes. "I don't know Gajeel," I said in a mock tone. "I'm not sure if you deserve it." I gave him a crooked smile.

"Oh?" he cocked an eyebrow as he peered down at me. "Does someone need some convincing?" He pulled my body closer to his and began to lean down.

I hummed before saying, "I could definitely go for some more convincing."

I must have said something right because before I knew it, Gajeel was sitting upright on the bench, pulling me towards him. I giggled playfully before allowing him to tug me in his direction.

I hiked my already too short skirt up so that the bottom of my cheeks were likely visible before I climbed onto his lap. He groaned his approval and I shivered as his hands instantly reached up to caress my backside.

He moved his head up to kiss me but I was in a playful mood. I dodged him, so that he was only able to land a caress on my cheek. My laughter tinkled throughout the car before it was drowned out by his growl.

"Not a good idea, Blue," he said softly, before trying to kiss me again.

I darted my head away again and let my lips caress his ear before whispering, "And why's that?"

I felt his hand grasp my jawbone firmly and he quickly moved my head back. I snickered before quirking a smile at him. I didn't know how a man like Gajeel would respond to this sort of teasing but I'll admit I was excited to find out.

"If you keep running from me like that, I'll start to think you're my prey," he drawled. His hand was still firmly on my chin and he guided me to the side so he had full access to my neck. He swirled his tongue over the skin before he began to nip at it.

I giggled from the contact. "Oh yeah?" This was getting dangerous, but I was feeling reckless. I put my hand on his wrist to pull it away from my face. At the same time, I rolled my hips forward, pressing my core against his growing manhood. "And why should that scare me?" I whispered in his ear again.

I continued to roll my hips into him. With each wave, I allowed my chest to rub closer and closer to his. He was staring at me with a feral look and I wanted to see just how riled up I could make him.

I stopped my movements and pulled back. Letting out a moan, I let my hands fall to my thighs before I brought them slowly up the sides of my body. I watched as his eyes followed them, watching me glide over my hips before they disappeared under my shirt. I lifted them higher, bringing my shirt along with them as I continued to caress my body under his gaze.

Watching him unwind beneath me was a heady feeling and I loved it. His growl was quiet at first but as my top came up and over my head, the noise was all around me.

I brought both arms up over my head and allowed one arm to caress the other on its descent. My movements slowed as my hands began to wrap around my back, as if to unhook my bra.

"It should scare you," his voice was deep and sexy as hell, "because dragons devour their prey."

I cocked an eyebrow up at him and quirked my lips to one side. "Is that true?" I unclasped my bra and let it fall to the floor. My nipples pebbled against the cold air as I completely bared myself to him. " _Show me._ "

He was on me in an instant. He flipped us over so my back was being pushed into the bench cushion, as we lay with it lengthwise. My hands reached up to tangle in his hair as his came down to roughly palm my breasts. We weren't taking it slow, at all. He was like a wild animal and I was his prey. It was intoxicating.

His lips were on mine and his tongue pushed into my mouth before I even had the chance to grant him entry. I moaned as he pinched my peak. His thumb began rubbing circles around one tip before his other hand traveled down my side to cup my backside. I could feel his increasing arousal pressing against my core and I rocked my hips to increase the contact.

He growled and grabbed at my ass more fully, using it to leverage himself into me. I gasped as he broke the kiss, moving his lips onto my neck. He was nipping harshly, almost to the point where he was biting at the skin. But I was too enthralled with the feeling of him against me to feel anything but pleasure from this man.

I brought my knees up around him and moaned at how it increased the friction between our cores. His hand slid from my ass to the back of my thigh before he pushed one knee higher into my body. I shivered as I felt him lift off my frame, taking his delicious warmth with him.

"Gajeel," I panted, giving him a confused look. But I didn't have much time to catch my breath. His hands grasped my hips firmly and I found myself being flipped over. I let my head fall between my shoulders so my forehead was resting against the red velveteen.

My breath hitched as I felt him push the pleats of my skirt up. He nearly had a full view of my ass, as I was only wearing lace cheeky underwear. I felt my core weep as the fingertips of one of his large hands began to caress me there. It was slow at first. His touch was gentle as he traced the curve of my cheeks at the bottom. I moaned as his hand traveled from one side to the other, brushing my lips in the process.

I finally felt him lower himself onto me. I popped my ass up a bit so I could push into his core further and he wrapped one arm around the space below my hips.

"Gajeel!" I nearly screamed before I felt his other hand wrap itself around my mouth tightly.

His breath was on my ear as he whispered, "Shhh. Gotta keep it quiet. We don't want someone walking in on us."

I whimpered but nodded my head as best I could in understanding. His hand slid away from my mouth, over my neck and shoulder before it finally rested against the side of my breast. He rolled his hips into me and I could feel just how aroused he was through his pants.

I was so lost in what this man was doing to me that I didn't hear the handle on the door to our compartment turn.

Gajeel's booming voice startled me as he spoke, "Find another car. This one's taken." His frame was still on me.

"Uhhh?"

_"Oh my god, I recognize that voice."_

"Gajeel? Is that you Levy?"

_"OH MY GOD, NO! Why me?"_

Lucy and Natsu had once again rained on our sexy parade. I felt Gajeel tense at the sound of Lucy's voice before he finally sighed loudly. "Give us a goddam minute, would you?" he said through gritted teeth at the pair.

"Come on, Natsu," Lucy said as she pushed her partner out of the compartment and let the door slam behind them.

I sighed as Gajeel lifted himself off me. I quickly looked around for my discarded garments so I could put myself back together. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Gajeel throw his head back in exasperation as he sat up on the bench.

"Fuuuck," he cursed under his breath as he closed his eyes. I noticed his hand drop down to his trousers as he roughly adjusted himself.

I managed to put all my clothes back in their proper positions before he cracked an eye open at me. "You know," his voice trailed off. "We could finish up, if we're quick," he smirked.

My eyes widened at his proposition. "Gajeel! No!" I was blushing. "I'm not doing that while those two are literally right outside the door." I dropped my voice to barely a whisper. "Natsu will be able to hear the whole thing!"

Gajeel brought his hand up to rub the back of his neck. "Meh," he brushed off my comment. "That idiot wouldn't know what was going on even if he did hear anything."

At his words, Natsu burst through the door. I watched as Lucy tried in vain to pull him back outside by his hand but she wasn't having any luck.

"What did you call me, you bucket of bolts?" Natsu shouted. Gajeel was on his feet in a second, slamming his head against Natsu's.

"I said, _you're an idiot."_ He accentuated each syllable.

I grabbed onto Gajeel's waist as Lucy pulled Natsu from his wrist. With the two of us pulling them in opposite directions, we finally managed to get them parted.

"Just sit down, the both of you!" Lucy yelled. Natsu looked like he was going to fight her but she raised her leg up threateningly. "I'll do it, Natsu. You know I will!"

He grumbled but let himself slide down onto the opposite bench with his arms crossed in front of him. Gajeel was still standing and his booming laughter filled the car. "She's got you whipped, don't she Salamander?"

"Gajeel!" I huffed but Lucy was bearing down on him before I had the chance to say anything else.

"I'm not against kicking you either! Now sit down!"

Gajeel ground his teeth and opened his mouth to yell back but just then, the car lurched into motion. Unable to keep his balance through his sudden onset of motion sickness, the Iron Slayer fell back and sprawled himself out on the our bench, clutching his stomach.

Lucy and I both heaved a sigh of relief as we watched the men try not to get sick. I shook my head a bit before I remembered the bottle of pills I had bought back at the drugstore. I rifled through the bag quickly before pulling the small container out.

"What's that?" Natsu moaned. Sweat was forming on his brow.

"It's medicine. It's supposed to help with motion sickness," I said and began to undo the cap. Before I got the chance, Natsu swiped it from my grip.

"Really?" he said with excitement. He popped the top with his thumb before he started to chug from the bottle.

"Natsu!" I gasped. "Don't swallow so many!"

"Hey!" That was Gajeel. He managed to sit up enough so he could grab the bottle out of the Fire Slayer's grasp. "Give me that!" He brought the bottle up to his lips and downed the rest of the pills.

"Oh my god, guys!" I said, bring my hands up to my face. "Why did you take so many?"

"What's the issue?" Natsu cocked his head to the side. "This stuff works fast, I feel better all—" but he didn't finish his sentence before he passed out on the bench. I looked at Gajeel to find him already snoring.

"What just happened?" Lucy said with wide eyes.

"The medication's side effect is drowsiness," I explained. "My guess is those two will be out for the remainder of the ride. Maybe even longer," I sighed. "I'm just worried about them having swallowed too many."

"I wouldn't worry about that," Lucy said. "Natsu told me Dragonslayers have an unreal metabolism. They burn through things like food and medicine and a rate many times faster than the rest of us."

I nodded in understanding. Lucy and I moved to sit by the window on opposite sides of the car. Luckily, there was a small space for me to squeeze into next to Gajeel's head. I watched as Lucy lifted Natsu's feet to slide beneath them.

I let my head fall back against the cushion and I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the onslaught of questions I knew were coming. _"Lucy complains about Mira but she's just as bad,"_ I mused.

When we both had settled in, Lucy finally raised her eyebrow at me. "So, Levy." I lifted my head and cracked my eyes open to meet her gaze. "Anything you wanna fill me in on?"

I sighed and looked out the window. "Not really," I admitted.

"Oh, _come on_ girl. I walked in on you two about to do the deed and you aren't gonna give me the details?"

I pursed my lips and gave her a wry look. She crossed her arms and huffed. "I'm not against kicking you too, if I have to."

I threw my arms up before I finally accepted my fate. "Okay, fine!" I said in exasperation. "What do you want to know? I'm an open book."

Her gaze was unblinking. "So, did you do it? Did you sleep with him?"

"What?! Lucy, no!" I said tensely.

She leaned back, looking a tad bit disappointed. "Well, why not?" she pouted.

I turned it around on her. "Well why haven't you slept with Natsu yet, hmm?" I snickered.

My comment got her instantly flustered. "What?! Because, well, we're not, and I'm not and," she saw my taunting face. "We're supposed to be talking about you!"

"Fine, fine," I said as I rolled my eyes.

"So," that mischievous twinkle was back in her eyes. "How well _did_ you two get to know each other over this job."

I was finally starting to loosen up a little. I giggled behind my hand before I said, "Pretty well."

"And?" Lucy was trying to pull more information out of me.

"And," I looked down to make sure Gajeel was truly passed out. I leaned forward and lowered my voice, "Oh my god, Lu. You have no idea! He's incredible. I've never orgasmed so many times in one week in my entire life!"

Lucy's eyes widened at my racy response. "Levy!" she gasped.

"Well, you wanted to know," I said as I leaned back. Movement from Gajeel startled me and I looked down. He had managed to grab onto my waist and had leveraged himself up so that he was using my lap as a pillow.

I smiled down at him and stroked his hair. He let out something between a groan and a hum before he nuzzled himself further into my lap. When I looked up, Lucy was giving me a knowing look.

"Oh, don't start that, " I chided her. "You're turning into a Mirajane, you know that." She shuddered slightly as I said the name. "What are you two doing on this train anyways?" I finally inquired.

"Oh yeah," Lucy said, lightly clapping her hands together. "We took a job in Clover Town. We left the day after you guys."

I raised my brow at her, "Just the two of you?"

She blushed slightly before she spoke. "Well, Erza was still on a job with Droy. I told Gray that I couldn't handle him and Natsu without Erza there and he was more than happy to sit this one out."

"Uh-huh," I said, continuing to stroke Gajeel's hair. "And the cat?"

Lucy looked down shamefaced. "I gave him a fish to stay home."

I chuckled at my friend's antics. She had it so bad for Natsu. It was too bad that the guy didn't seem to be emotionally complex enough to notice. I looked across the small car at her. She was absentmindedly stroking Natsu's leg as she looked out the window.

She almost looked wistful as she stared out the glass, but she quickly shook her head and gave me a bright smile. "Enough about work. So how are you handling all of this?"

"Handling it all?" I cocked my head to the side.

She scratched the side of her head briefly before continuing. "I mean, how do you feel about him? Is this just a physical thing or do you think it's something more?"

Lucy really knew how to get to the heart of issues with me. I sighed and quirked my lips to the side. I told her all about that night that I saw Gajeel get shot. How I realized my feelings and was ready to tell him, but that the moment passed.

"Well, why don't you just tell him now?" she asked simply.

I let out a deep sigh before saying, "How do you just tell someone you love them?" I gave her a sad look. "I'm so afraid he'll reject me. I'm so afraid of how he'll react. I realized that night that I couldn't bear being without him. And I'm afraid that I'm gonna mess this all up with my overanalyzing."

Lucy gave me a sweet smile before saying, "You'll figure it out, sweetheart. I know you will. Try not to worry."

I returned her smile as best I could. I was so lost in my own thoughts as I looked out the window that I hadn't noticed the Iron Dragonslayer's eyes crack open.

. . .

I waved my hand in the air at Lucy and Natsu. "Bye guys!"

"See ya at the guild tomorrow, Levy!" Lucy responded with a waive of her own.

I looked up at Gajeel. He seemed totally lost in thought ever since we got off the train. "Something the matter?" I cocked my head to the side.

He brought his hand down from where he was rubbing the back of his neck before masking his emotions with a smirk. "Nah."

"Okay, well, I guess I'll head home. See you tomorrow?" The whole situation felt weird. This was what I was worried about. How were things going to be when we finally got back to the guild? _"I knew things were going to get weird now that we're back around everyone else. He'll probably ignore me at the guild or not want to be seen with me or something. I don't know why I let myself fall for him so fast. God, I feel so dumb!"_

I felt moisture trying to build up in my eyes and I willed myself not to cry. I've always been quick to cry. I couldn't help it and it always had a way of happening at the worst times.

Gajeel looked at me dourly. "Like hell you're going home alone."

"Huh? Gajeel, I have to go home!" I stomped my foot a little.

He let out a heavy breath before he spoke. "It's almost midnight and your place is a thirty minute walk from here. I ain't letting you walk back by yourself! It ain't safe."

"Well, what do you suggest?" I was starting to get agitated. What was this guy playing at?

His brows furrowed before he swept me up in his arms. Hips lips descended on mine in a gentle kiss and I tried to push away from him. "What's the matter with you all the sudden?"

I tried to wriggle out of his grasp but there was no chance. Despite my evolving temper tantrum, he held me firmly in his arms.

"I don't know!" It was the truth. I didn't know what was going on with me. A few hours ago I was telling Lucy how much I loved this man and now I doubted everything that we had experienced together over the past week or so.

Gajeel allowed me to exhaust myself. When I finally stilled, he was pulling me in closer to him. His nose burrowed its way into my hair and I felt him breathe my scent in. I couldn't help the tears that slowly leaked from my eyes.

"Nothing's changed, Levy. I don't care if we're half a world away or here in Magnolia, what I told you was real. I ain't goin' anywhere. I'm staying right here."

I burrowed myself into his chest and allowed the tears to flow freely. When I had finally cried myself out, he lifted my chin and placed a kiss on each side of my face. "Come on, Blue. You're crashing at my place tonight. It's just a block away."

"Really?" I asked, trying to wipe away the tears staining my cheeks.

Gajeel assisted by brushing away a few errant drops with his thumb. "Scout's honor," he confirmed. "It's only a block away." He let out a small chuckle and I couldn't help giggle at his silly joke.

I finally managed to smile up at him. He had such an amazing way of cheering me up. Even when I was crying for no apparent reason, he showed his kind side and still managed to make me laugh.

"Come on, Blue. I can't wait to see what you look like, climbing into _my_ bed." He winked before he crouched down to pick me up behind my knees. I laughed and wrapped my arms around his shoulders as he carried me to his apartment.

_"Maybe this is real, afterall."_


	15. Blindfolded

. . .

I finally managed to smile up at him. He had such an amazing way of cheering me up. Even when I was crying for no apparent reason, he showed his kind side and still managed to make me laugh.

"Come on, Blue. I can't wait to see what you look like, climbing into _my_ bed." He winked before he crouched down to pick me up behind my knees. I laughed and wrapped my arms around his shoulders as he carried me to his apartment.

_"Maybe this is real, afterall."_

. . .

"Would you quit squirming, otherwise I'm gonna drop ya!" Gajeel grunted. I just giggled and continued to climb around his side. He gripped the back of my legs firmly as I clutched him around his neck.

I nuzzled the side of his face before taking in a deep breath of his iron scent. "What's with your sudden mood swings?" he inquired as he continued to take large steps towards our destination.

I pouted slightly, pulling back from where I was leaning my head on his shoulder. "Did you just call me moody?"

Gajeel stopped our forward progress. "Now don't do that," he said flatly.

"Do what?" I giggled innocently.

"Go puttin' words in my mouth. You know that's not what I said." He continued to stride forward and I put my head back on his shoulder.

"I know," I sighed. "Sorry."

"No worries, Blue. We're here anyways." I looked up to see a brick flat roofed building. It was pretty ordinary and blended well with the surrounding buildings. I looked side to side to see where exactly we were in town. I noticed we were across the street from the Half Cocor Hotel Bar.

Gajeel opened the front door and ran up the stairs. There was a lobby of sorts separated by a small set of stairs. A door to the left on the bottom level no doubt led to another apartment. When we reached the summit, Gajeel turned right to another door.

"So this is where you live?" I said out loud, looking around. I let myself slide off his back and my feet landed softly on the floor. The walls were off-white and the floorboards looked like original wood. The whole building had an older feel to it, but not in a bad way.

Gajeel grunted his response. "Other than Panther Lily, you're the only one that knows. So don't go spreading it around, okay?"

I snickered. "I don't know, Black Steel." He turned around to face me with his hand still on the doorknob. "This is some pretty juicy information. What do I get for keeping it a secret?"

His eyes narrowed at me before a sinister grin graced his lips. "Oh, it's like that, is it?"

I gave him a playful look before batting my eyelashes up at him. "Mmhm."

"I've got some ideas." Before I could stop him, he leaned down and had me by my hips. Once again I found myself being hoisted over his shoulders as my arms dangled down his back.

I heard him kick open the front door and felt us enter his apartment. He took big strides into his apartment but all I could see was the floor beneath us. I reached up and tugged forcefully on his hair. I must have surprised him because he started to lose his balance. Before I knew it, we were sprawled out on his sofa, me on bottom with his back all but crushing me.

"Gajeel!" I gasped through my laughter. "Can't breathe!" I tried pushing on his shoulders so that he would roll off of me.

He just chuckled. His booted feet landed on the floor and he pushed himself up onto the couch, to further crush me. Most of my breath had left me by that point. "Should have thought of that before you got all crazy," he snickered.

I started wriggling underneath him and he finally moved to lift himself off me. "Okay, okay," he laughed. "Don't wanna deal with the questions about why you're passed out in my apartment."

I blushed at the innuendo before finally being able to sit up on the couch. I reached down to remove my sandals as he sat and untied his boots beside me. Once I was barefoot, I drew my legs up into my chest and wrapped my arms around them.

Gajeel's place was pretty barren, but that's kind of what I had expected. We were currently sitting on a brown leather couch pushed up against the wall. An iron wrought coffee table separated the sofa from a lacrimavision on the opposite wall. To our left was a small kitchen with a basic set of white appliances and next to the lacrimavision was a closed door, which I figured led to his bedroom.

I smiled before bringing my head down into my knees. "I like your place," I said softly.

The Iron Slayer had finished taking his boots off and he leaned his back against the armrest of the sofa before he nudged me with his feet. I laughed as his toes wriggled into my side and I let my legs fall to the floor. "Much better," he mused as he let his legs fall heavy on my lap, crossing one over the other. "I'm glad you like it, Blue. 'Cause you're going to be seeing a lot more of it, if I have it my way."

My eyes widened as I looked at him. I didn't know what to expect when we got back to Magnolia, truth be told. But Gajeel always seemed so distant and removed in the guild. I hadn't expected him to open up his home to me like this.

"Hey, Gajeel," I said softly.

"Uh, oh," he responded quickly.

I turned my head to look at him straight. "What do you mean uh-oh?"

"You've got that look," he smirked.

"What look?" I huffed, as I crossed my arms in front of my chest.

"That look that says you're overthinking things," he replied quietly. His top leg lifted to wrap around my small frame and using his legs, he pulled me back so I was lying between his legs. His arms wrapped around my shoulders and I couldn't help but sigh in contentment. "Go on, Blue. What's on your mind?"

I frowned, searching for where to start. _"What's not on my mind is probably a better question."_

I let out a heavy breath before I finally spoke. "It's just that, I guess I'm scared," I finally admitted.

"Scared of what?" he responded genuinely.

_"That you don't feel the same way that I do. That someday someone else will catch your eye and you'll leave me for her. That I'm not strong enough for you. That I'm not good enough for you."_

"I'm scared that all of this will disappear," I said quietly. My voice was barely louder than a whisper.

"That's dumb," he scoffed. I tensed at his words, but relaxed as I felt his grip tighten around my shoulders. He brought his knees up and squeezed my small frame. "I'm the one that should be scared."

I turned myself to the side so I could look up at his face. He was staring off at the opposite wall with a wistful look. "Why would you say something like that?"

He brought one hand up to his head before he rested the back of it across his eyes. I felt his chest rise and fall as he let out a deep sigh. "Because, for some fucked up reason, I always end up alone. It happened with Metalicana, it happened with Phantom, and now I'm afraid it's going to happen with you."

I turned myself around fully now so that our fronts were pressed together. I grabbed onto his shoulders to pull myself up further on his body. "Gajeel—I told you before, you're not going to scare me off."

He opened one eye beneath his hand to peer down at me. "Yeah, but I told you before that I'm not going anywhere, but you're still worryin' about it."

He was right. He always seemed to be right about this stuff. He _had_ told me, multiple times, that he wasn't going anywhere. That he would be here for me when I realized my feelings. And I still doubted it; I still doubted myself.

 _"We're the same. We're just two people, completely afraid of being alone in the end."_ The realization hit me so suddenly. _"He feels exactly the same way I do. He carries the same doubts as me."_

"Blue?" his voice broke me out of my ponderings.

I shook my head and smiled at him. "Gajeel," I reached up to grab his hand from his head and bring it down to my face. He was staring at me intently with his red eyes. "I think that you and me are the same person."

His brows furrowed as he gave me a look of utter confusion. I giggled before I continued, "Not literally! But we both have the same insecurities. We're both afraid of being alone. But maybe," I let out a heavy breath before continuing, "maybe we can learn to put that aside. Maybe we can learn to trust one another."

His eyes were still on me, holding mine in an intense stare. "If I say you won't scare me off and if you say you won't abandon me, maybe we can believe one another," I said softly.

A smile slowly spread across his lips before they opened to speak, "I'm willing to give it a shot if you are."

I winked at him before responding. "I'm willing to give it more than a shot."

His lips quirked at my playful response. "Oh, so it's like that, huh?"

I brought my feet into the air, swinging them back in forth mischievously. "Oh, it's like that," I snickered.

"You know," he reached down and grasped me underneath my arms before pulling me higher onto his body. "I do believe we were in the middle of something pretty important on the train before we were interrupted."

I brought a finger up to my lips and cocked my head to the side. "Really? I can't seem to remember."

Before I knew it, he had lifted me by my waist and we were walking towards the door on the opposite wall. "No worries. I'm happy to jog your memory."

Once we were through the door I found myself landing on the bed with a bounce. I looked around in the dim lighting at his bedroom. The wall to my left had a closet next to the entrance for the bathroom. The opposite wall had two windows, overlooking the street. The only furniture besides the bed was a small nightstand.

But I didn't have much time to worry about the decorating before Gajeel's dark frame climbed onto my lithe body. I felt his hands reach under my top before it was being thrown across the room, followed by my skirt. As I lay across his bed in nothing but my underwear, he stood back to look down at me.

I tried not to feel self-conscious as I reminded myself that this man was truly into me. In a bold move, I brought my hands down as I arched my neck back. I let out a soft moan as I allowed them to travel the length of my body; over my breasts, across my navel and finally landing on my hips. "See something you like?" I moaned, before I turned myself onto my stomach to tease him with my backside.

"Oh, fuck yes," I heard him breathe out. I felt the bed depress behind me as he climbed on. I grabbed a pillow to prop myself up as I wiggled my ass back and forth slightly for his viewing pleasure. A gasp escaped my lips as his fingers began to brush against my perky cheeks.

His name was on my lips and I turned my head back to look at him. He was looking at me with ravenous intent and I suddenly wondered why I had worried about my body. He clearly loved it. "Too many clothes, Gajeel." My voice was soft. His gaze flickered over to me and he smirked.

He quickly shed his jacket and threw it aside. He reached up to grasp the back collar of his shirt before he lifted it up and off his body. I watched with delight as the muscles in his shoulders bunched before the shirt rose to reveal his sculpted abdominals.

My gaze swept over his body and I took a moment to appreciate what a gorgeous man he was. Deep down, I couldn't believe that a man like him—strong, confident and sexy as hell—truly cared about me. It seemed almost unreal. He looked sinful, standing there in nothing but his khaki pants.

I bit the corner of my lower lip before I said, "Still too many clothes." His grin widened before he climbed off the bed. I watched him as he stood to his full height. His hands came down to slowly undo his belt before he dropped his pants. Dark briefs clung to heavily muscled thighs. Sadly, the rest of his legs were out of sight from my position on the bed.

"How 'bout now?" His flashed me a cocky smile.

I returned his smile with a coy look. I hummed my appreciation before finally saying, "For now."

He let out a low chuckle before he slowly began moving towards the bed. I expected him to climb back on and over me, but that's not what he did. His movements were slow. I felt a large hand caress me up the back of my right calf first. He drew small circles with his fingertips just below my knee before his hand slid back down to trace the curve of my foot.

I couldn't help the shivers that ran through my body. Starting at my fingertips, it seemed like their mutual destination was the junction between my legs. Warm fingers on my other leg did nothing to help my predicament and I shuddered before letting out a wanton moan.

His hand climbed further, increasing its pressure as it continued its ascent up my leg. I quickly learned that the back of my thigh was extremely sensitive. His light touches had my core absolutely weeping in anticipation.

I felt the bed depress behind me as he finally started to climb back on, placing his knees on either side of my legs. I could nearly feel his low growl in the air; it seemed as if it was all around me.

I gasped as I felt his soft lips on the back of my thigh. It wasn't quite a kiss, just a caress, traveling up to the bottom of my rear. A moan left my lips as I felt his tongue dart out and lick the curve of my right cheek. "Gajeel!" I exclaimed. But before I had time to process just what had happened, I felt his teeth softly nip at the flesh.

His other hand came up to grasp the neglected side. His fingers splayed out over my heated skin and within seconds I was sure I was nothing more than a puddle of my own arousal.

He let out a sound somewhere between a moan and a growl before he said, "These might be in the way. What do you say we ditch 'em?" His fingers traveled under my lacy underwear before he snapped it gently against my skin.

I gasped at the sensations before I nodded my head quickly. Lifting my hips to assist must have done something for him because he hummed his appreciation. I felt his fingers slide beneath the waistband before he slowly began to pull the bit of lace off my body.

His pace was agonizing. The material folded down on itself, slowly revealing my entire backside for his view. The slip of fabric between my legs stayed in place the longest. I let my head fall between my arms and let out a heavy breath when I felt the material finally fall away from my womanhood. The air around me felt cold against my overheated skin and I shivered slightly.

When the lace was finally off my body, Gajeel raised himself over me on his knees before literally throwing it over his shoulder. "Much better," he drawled before letting his arms fall on either side of my backside.

Warmth spread through my body as he let one hand fully caress my exposed behind. The hand continued north, skating over the small of my back before it landed against my bra clasp.

"I don't think we need this either," he whispered in a near growl. With one hand, I felt him pinch the back of my bra strap together before it fell off my body and onto the bed beneath me.

I was too enthralled with his movements to care about removing the bra, so I let it rest there, with the straps gently touching my arms. The bed shifted again as Gajeel raised himself up further onto my body. Finally, I felt the warmth of his body resting against mine. His chest rested against my back and his hips cradled mine. I basked in the feeling of his frame against mine. One hand started at my knee and slowly trailed fingers along the entire side of my body before it began to draw agonizing circles around my breast.

His movements started large, tracing the entire mound. But with each circuit, the circle became smaller until he was finally about to touch my peak. A moan of anticipation escaped my lips but it was too soon. His hand left my body before I felt his opposite one begin the process all over again on my other side.

By this point, my cunt was nearly throbbing. "Gajeel," I husked. He merely hummed a response. "Please."

"Please what, Blue?" he said sardonically.

Actions speak louder than words and my actions said more than I ever could. I raised my hips up to grind my backside against him. That was all the encouragement he needed. He rocked his already ready manhood into my body and his fingers finally tweaked my tip the way he knew I loved.

I threw my head back in pleasure and he grabbed my earlobe with his lips, giving it a swipe with his tongue. I felt his lips descend onto my neck where he sucked a mark onto the skin. I knew I was moaning loudly by this point but I didn't even care. Truth be told, I don't even know if I was entirely conscious of exactly what I was doing or saying.

I felt him reach out across the bed with his arm to grab something from the nightstand. Suddenly, my vision turned dark as a piece of fabric cover my eyes. "Gajeel, what?" I started to say, but his breath against my ear quieted me down.

"If you tell me to stop, I will." His voice trailed off as his fingers brushed against my neck. "But I really hope you don't."

 _"Holy fuck,"_ was the only crude thing that came to my mind. I felt his warmth lift off my body before his hands traced a path all the way from my shoulder to the back of my knee.

His fingertips rose back up to ghost up the back of my thigh before I was gasping in near ecstasy as they brushed lightly over my lower lips.

With my sight blocked, I felt my other senses heighten somewhat. No longer shy, I raised my lower half up on my knees so that my womanhood was clearly exposed for Gajeel. I sashayed my rear to signal what I wanted.

"Fuck me, you're perfect," I heard Gajeel whisper under his breath. His lips were on me in an instant, planting soft kisses up the back of my thigh before he finally brought his lips to my womanhood.

I knew what he was going to do and I can't say I wasn't nervous, but I wanted it. I wanted to experience everything this man had to offer.

His tongue moved slowly at first, licking the outside of my outer lips. He already had me moaning uncontrollably with his movements. Finally, I felt his tongue flatten, as he tasted all of me. His muscle moved from just above my clit to my entrance and back.

Up and down, back and forth, he licked me into a state of utter euphoria. His name was my mantra and I moaned it over and over again. I gasped as his tongue finally slowed and began to draw circles around my bundle of nerves. He raised his hand up to caress my backside as he continued to devour me from behind.

He had me nearly screaming his name when he moved his tongue down to my entrance. He was growling and the vibrations were like shots of pleasure right to the source. Slowly, his tongue traced circles around my most intimate of places. "Oh, Gajeel," I couldn't help but moan his name.

He growled at my words before he pulled back slightly to speak. "Tell me I can taste all of you."

Mumbled words of agreement fell from my lips before he plunged his tongue into my sacred space. My head fell into the pillow I was still holding and muffled my scream. His tongue was hot on my flesh as I felt him spear into me over and over again.

When I didn't think I could take it anymore, he pulled away. I whimpered at the loss of contact and tried to look back, but my vision was still blocked by the slip of fabric. A gasp of surprise left my lips as he speared two fingers into me without warning. I felt his teeth nipping at the back of one cheek as his tongue moved up to draw small circles around my pleasure button.

His fingers thrust in and out of my body with ease and I could feel my arousal literally dripping down my thighs. Tension was building in my body. It felt as if my entire cunt was tightening around his digits. Despite my body being fully fixed to the ground, I felt as if I were beginning to float, as if some part of me couldn't be contained.

One hand ghosted up my body, starting from my backside and caressing me along its path to my breast. My core felt so tight, almost to the point where I was cramping. His index finger circled my tip once before he rolled the pink nub between his thumb.

I knew I should have felt embarrassed, given my position. What woman wouldn't feel a tad bit self-conscious, completely naked with her ass in the air? But Gajeel made the whole thing feel comfortable and I felt confident in my own skin.

I was already nearly about to break, before he rotated his fingers inside me to hit that spongy bit of flesh. My waves of pleasure finally crashed and I screamed my release into the pillow beneath my head. My walls clenched hard around his fingers and he slowed his movements upon feeling my climax.

Heat radiated through my body as my skin felt both numb and completely sensitive all at the same time. My entire vulva began to pulse its release, relaxing a bit more each time while simultaneously spreading a tingling feeling throughout my body in waves. I felt Gajeel's match his fingers' movements to my contractions as I finally descended from my high.

"Oh, wow," was all I could manage to say from my relaxed state. My knees had slipped down so that my ass was no longer up in the air. I had a lazy smile on my face and I felt so amazing. I felt the bed shift as Gajeel laid himself next to me. He grasped me around the waist and pulled my body so it was flush against his.

"Glad you liked it," he chuckled.

I sighed before saying, "I don't think _like_ is a strong enough word."

He growled into my ear before he rolled his hips. I could feel his rock hard manhood pressing against my backside. I turned my top half and reached up to remove the blindfold. When my eyes had finally adjusted to the low light, I saw him, smiling down at me. "You're gorgeous, you know that?" he said before nuzzling his nose against my neck.

I giggled before reaching down between us. I stroked his solid manhood through his boxers before I said, "Still too many clothes."

END CHAPTER 15


	16. Wet, Hot Confessions

. . .

He growled into my ear before he rolled his hips. I could feel his rock hard manhood pressing against my backside. I turned my top half and reached up to remove the blindfold. When my eyes had finally adjusted to the low light, I saw him, smiling down at me. "You're gorgeous, you know that?" he said before nuzzling his nose against my neck.

I giggled before reaching down between us. I stroked his solid manhood through his boxers before I said, "Still too many clothes."

. . .

He nibbled lightly on my ear before saying, "That's an easy fix." I let the blindfold fall to the bed completely and turned onto my back so I could see him fully. I let my eyes roam all over his solid form. His hair fell in messy spikes all the way down his back. His broad chest muscles took up seemingly half his upper body. I watched his biceps flex in the low light as he pushed himself up to stand at the edge of the bed.

I felt myself shudder in anticipation as he dropped his boxer briefs and threw them on the floor. I still couldn't get over how scrumptious this man looked.

 _"Not to mention that I'm here in his bed!"_ I felt like such a bad girl. And I absolutely loved it.

Those perfect lines of his led straight down to his manhood, which was more than ready. It stood proud with a thick vein traveling down the center. His head was enlarged which had pushed his foreskin back. I let my eyes travel further so I could appreciate his well-muscled thighs.

I sent him a saucy smile before whispering, "Much better."

He grinned back as he pumped himself a few times under my gaze. I pouted and he quirked his eyebrow. "That's my job!" I huffed as I sat up on the bed.

"Oh?" he chuckled. "Then don't let me interfere." He placed both knees on the bed as I crawled forward towards him. I grabbed ahold of his rod as I looked up at him from my spot below. His eyes rolled back as I smiled and licked the underside of him from base to tip.

I moaned as I swirled my tongue around the tip of his staff and I felt his fingers come up and play with my hair. I finally allowed my head to descend onto him and began pumping. My tongue continued to draw circles with the tip on the underside of his shaft with each pump. He was going out of his mind with pleasure, moaning my name as he continued to run his hands through my hair.

One hand tightened its hold around my locks and all of the sudden I found myself being pulled away from my work. I looked up at Gajeel to see a feral look in his red eyes. I bit my lower lip before licking both lips slowly, as if I was trying to savor the flavor of him.

He growled before he crawled over my form. I looked down to see his hand on his shaft. He was guiding it towards my entrance. While I was a tad worried about things moving so fast, I was more than ready to feel all of Gajeel. I was in such a pleasure haze from my release that worries really didn't register across my brain.

But he didn't plunge into me as I had expected. I gasped as he began rubbing his shaft against my lower lips. His hard rod continued to brush over my already sensitive nub. He moved easily against me, seeing that his tool was wet from both my lips. The feeling of him rubbing against me so intimately was intoxicating. I reached my hands up to try and grasp onto something to anchor myself. The only thing I could find was the edge of the mattress. I gripped it hard with my hands as he continued his slow place, rocking against me.

"Oh, Gajeel!" I moaned.

"Fuck, Levy. You feel so good," was his response.

His movements slowed and I felt him lift himself off me. It took me a moment to register just what was happening. When I finally came to, he was holding his shaft up to my lips. "Get it nice and wet for me," he drawled.

I smirked before I propped myself up on my elbows. Without using any hands, I descended into his cock, swirling my tongue around him the entire way down and up. I released him and he bounced in front of me slightly as I wiped the saliva away from my mouth. "Like that?" I gasped, trying to catch my breath.

"Fuck, yes." In an instant, rough hands had me underneath my waist and I felt myself being hoisted up before I was flipped over. He let me fall back onto the bed, this time face down and he climbed back on. His rod rested between my cheeks and he wound his hand around the front of my hips and hugged me tight.

He began to rock against me as before, but this time a little faster. His wet cock was sliding deliciously between my backside and I was moaning his name all over again. It was an entirely new sensation that I was experiencing and it was getting me wet all over again. I allowed myself to get lost in the feelings of pleasure and just live in this moment.

His hand came up to palm one of my breasts as he began to thrust against me harder and harder. I threw my head back and his other hand left my hips to grab onto my hair. He pulled it gently and I moaned at the sensations it caused. The thought of what we must look like crossed my mind: me on all fours, Gajeel thrusting himself against me from behind while his fingers caressed my breast and pulled my hair. I probably should have felt embarrassed but I loved letting loose like this around him.

"Fuck, Gajeel!" I gasped, as he pulled on my hair harder.

He growled into my ear and my core wept. I felt him nip at my earlobe before he husked, "I love it when you talk dirty."

I shuddered at his words. I smirked back at him as best as I could. "You rubbing your cock against me is making me sooo wet," I drawled.

His growling increased along with his speed at my words. His reaction gave me confidence and I continued. "Oh Gajeel, I was you to come all over me. Let me feel your hot seed on me, please!"

"Fuck, Levy." He pinched one of my tips and my arms gave out. I fell to the bed just as he climaxed. I felt his hot seed land on the back of my body. I let out a moan at the feeling as it started to drip down between my cheeks. The sensation was amazing. Burning hot at first, then cold as it began to drip all over me. _'Oh god, I'm such a slut,"_ I smirked internally. Who was I kidding; I loved this.

Gajeel finally collapsed beside me on his back. Carefully, I crawled over to him so that nothing would drip onto the bed. I rested my chin on his chest and he cracked an eye open to look at me. "Hi," I said with a smile.

He let his eyes close and a grin was on his lips. He let out a contented sigh before he chuckled, "Hi."

We laid like that for several minutes, both of us descending from our heights. I finally broke the silence with a sigh, "Everything feels so amazing with you. You're incredible."

He lifted one hand and began caressing the sides of my hair affectionately. "Nah," he spoke. "You're the one that makes all this so incredible." His eyes were still closed so it was hard to get a read on what he was thinking.

"How so?" I sighed in contentment, letting my head rest further on his body.

He let out a large breath and opened his eyes before he finally responded, "Things are way different with you than they have been with anybody else. But," he hesitated. "Do you really want to get into all this now?"

I cocked my head to the side. "Into what?"

He closed eyes again. "Our pasts. I was different before joining Fairy Tail, you know that. And," his words trailed off.

"And?" I encouraged.

"I don't know if I can handle the idea of another man touching you, even if it was before we met." His voice was low and had a menacing sound to it.

He was probably right. Even though I did really want to know about his sexual past ( _"What girl doesn't, am I right?"_ ), now was probably not the best time to start digging up everything that had been buried. I placed my hand on the side of his face and he looked into my eyes. "I don't care about any of the _before_. When you're ready, we can share all that. For now, I'm just happy about the present."

I gave him my best smile before I continued, "Come on, let's go rinse off."

My words must have peaked his interest. He quirked an eyebrow up before saying, "Together?"

I laughed and batted at his chest. "Only if you promise to behave."

He smirked, "Oh, I guarantee I'll be on my best behavior."

. . .

I bounced over to the door of Gajeel's bathroom and opened it up to peer inside. I switched the light on and squinted as my eyes adjusted to the brightness. It was pretty spacious inside. There was a counter with two sinks next to the toilet. The shower was all the way on the back wall. I walked in and pulled back the plain red curtain.

"Hey, no fair!" I exclaimed.

Gajeel was walking through the bathroom door behind me. He stopped and put his arm up on the doorframe. I turned around to look at him. He was completely naked and proud. I blushed at the sight of him standing there in his birthday suit in the bright light. That's when I realized that I was doing the same and I blushed all over again.

He took two large steps towards me before he encompassed me in his arms. He leaned down and whispered in my ear, "What's not fair?"

My words faltered a little bit. I cleared my throat before I softly spoke, "How big your tub is!"

He chuckled. "Oh that. I thought you were talking about how you're prancing around my apartment completely naked." He pushed us apart a bit so he could smirk down at me with that cocky grin of his.

I threw his words back at him. "You like me better this way," I giggled.

"Damn straight," he replied. He broke our embrace to turn the water on for the shower. I stood there sheepishly, not sure what to do. I finally spoke up, "Got a wash cloth?" I was starting to feel his essence hardening on my back.

"Underneath the cabinet on the right hand side," he responded. When I finally located one, I stood up to see him stepping into the spray. He quirked an eyebrow at me as I stared at him. "Care to join me?" he all but laughed.

I smiled back at him tentatively before I walked forward and closed the curtain behind me.

His form seemed that much bigger in the shower. He took up most of the area, making the entire tub feel instantly small. I stood there, shivering slightly as the mist of the hot air surrounded me. I felt his strong hands wrap around my waist as he pulled me into the spray with him.

I looked down to see our bodies pressing together, my breasts were pressed tight against his abdominals. I leaned into his embrace, allowing the hot water to pour over me as I rested my head on his chest. The whole thing felt so surreal.

I pushed against his arms so that I could look into his eyes. Water was pouring down his face, making his spiky hair mat to his head. Those silver piercings gleamed in the steam. His red eyes stared back at me intensely and he smiled softly.

_"I really do care about this man. Within such a short amount of time, he really did make me completely fall for him. How did he even do that?"_

"Something on your mind, Shrimp?" It'd been a while since he'd called me that and I giggled at the old name.

I leaned back into his frame and hugged him tighter. "Just happy, that's all."

"Any particular reason why?" he chided.

I sighed. "You know why."

"Yeah," he reached down with his hand and lifted my chin so I was looking into his eyes. "But I'd love to hear you say it."

"Gajeel, I—" I hesitated. Thoughts of rejection and humiliation flashed in my brain. But, then another memory from just today took over. It was me and Gajeel, sitting on his couch together, promising that we would trust one another. If I was going to be true to my word, I was going to have to trust what he said. I was going to have to trust that he wouldn't leave me.

I steeled my resolve. "Gajeel, I think I'm in love with you." I said the words looking up into his eyes but as soon as they left my mouth, I burrowed back into his chest. My body tensed involuntarily, waiting for his response.

But he never said anything. He pushed himself away from my slightly so he could lift my chin up again with his large finger. Then his lips were on mine. The kiss was slow and full of passion. He pushed me against the back of the shower and I tensed as the cold tile hit my back. His hands caressed my entire body up and down before one wrapped around the small of my back to press me into him while the other wound its way around my neck. His lips moved against mine and I sighed at the feeling of being consumed by this man.

When he finally pulled back, it took me a moment to open my eyes again. He was staring at me so intently. His red eyes gleamed and a small smile was on his face. His lips began to move. "I know you are. I've known it for a while. Just wanted to let you fully realize things before I said anything."

I was trying to make sense of his words. "What? You knew? When? How?"

"On the train ride home," he stared off at the memory. "When you were talking to Lucy. I was awake for some of it. I heard what you told her."

I blushed. _"Oh my god, he heard that?"_

"I don't know what to say," I hesitated.

He was staring back down at me again. He leaned his frame down a bit so I would make eye contact before pulling me back into his warm embrace. "Yes you do. Say it to me, over and over again. I'll never get tired of hearing it."

"But, you haven't told me how you feel!" I started to huff, feeling slightly embarrassed by the entire situation.

He chuckled and squeezed me tightly. "Levy, I've loved you since that first time you approached me in the guild. You probably don't remember it. I called you a busy body and you called me a jerk." He chuckled at the memory.

I remembered the incident. It was just after he had joined Fairy Tail. He was sitting alone at a table and I remember seeing him smile for the first time since the Phantom incident. I decided I would go up and try and strike up a conversation but he just brushed me off. "I don't see how that could have sparked any love," I laughed to myself.

He chuckled again. "It wasn't about the name calling. It was the fact that after everything I'd done to you, everything I'd done to the guild and everything I'd been through, you still tried to get to know me. You still weren't scared me of." He lifted my head up again so I was looking into his eyes. "It was the first time someone showed me they actually cared about me, even a little bit."

"Gajeel, I—" I didn't know what to say. What do you say to a confession like that?

"I love you, Levy. Always have, always will." He placed another kiss on my lips. It was sweet and gentle, but full of emotion.

When he broke the contact, a small tear fell from one eye. "All this time? You waited all this time?"

He just smiled at me. "I didn't want to push you. It wasn't my place. If you wanted to return my feelings, I wanted it to be genuine. I was afraid of telling you and scaring you off."

I shivered slightly as the water was beginning to grow cold. I hugged him closer to me, letting the warmth of his body surround me. "I'm not going anywhere," I sighed. "I promise."

. . .

A few minutes later found us clean, dried off and cuddled into his bed. Gajeel had let me borrow one of his oversized t-shirts since my nightgown likely needed a wash. His arm wrapped around my side as I spooned into his chest. I let me legs tangle with his and snuggled into his warmth.

He reached down and pulled the blanket up over both of us. I chuckled as I noticed the design for the first time. It was red and edged with silver cross-shaped rivets. _"Everything about this man is hard,"_ I giggled to myself.

"What's got you all giggles?" he smirked.

I sighed and nuzzled into him. "Just happy, that's all."

"Oh, and why's that?" I knew what he was doing but I didn't care.

"Because I love you, that's why, you big jerk," I laughed.

"Damn right."


	17. Breakfast in Bed

. . .

"What's got you all giggles?" he smirked.

I sighed and nuzzled into him. "Just happy, that's all."

"Oh, and why's that?" I knew what he was doing but I didn't care.

"Because I love you, that's why, you big jerk," I laughed.

"Damn right."

. . .

I woke up to the feeling of something hard pressing against the back of me. Realization dawned on me as I discovered myself being held tightly against Gajeel's still sleeping form. He was clearly sporting some morning glory, but I didn't mind.

I felt so much more at ease after our conversation in the shower yesterday evening. I had finally confessed my feelings to him and he hadn't turned me down. Quite the opposite, actually.

 _"I can't believe that he's had feelings for me all this time and he's kept them hidden."_ I thought back to all the times that he tried to get close to me. _"The S-Class trials must have been one of his major attempts for us to get closer,"_ I realized.

I felt him move slightly against me as his hands tightened their grip around my waist. The feeling of his hardened manhood pressing into my backside was all I needed to get me going.

I slowly untangled myself from his grip, trying my best not to wake him immediately. When I was finally free of his grasp, I pushed against him slightly so that he would lay flat on his back. When he was in the position I wanted, I crawled on top of him. With my legs on either side of his, I very slowly allowed my core to slide against his. The friction felt amazing and I felt myself getting aroused.

I held my breath as I slowly leaned down and swiped my tongue against his lips. That got his attention because he finally cracked one eye open at me. "Good morning," I smiled down at him.

"More like _great_ morning," he smirked back. As he said the words, his hands grabbed me firmly against my hips and he rocked his solid tool into my core. I gasped at the contact and he let out his signature laugh. "I could get used to you waking up in my bed."

I giggled down at him. "You certainly seem to have recovered from yesterday."

"Rise and shine, Blue. It's what I do best." He rocked his core against me again and I had to put my hands wide on his chest to steady myself.

His right hand moved from its spot on my hip to slowly travel underneath the t-shirt I had borrowed. I felt him circle my breast lazily before he pinched my tip. I shuddered at the sensation.

"Gajeel," I nearly moaned. Without a thought towards modesty, I raised the shirt up and off my body, throwing it onto the floor without a care. I reached down and grabbed his other hand, bringing it up to my other breast. "Touch me," I husked.

He growled at my words as he began to palm both breasts. His movements were agonizing and I was sure that I was leaking through both my panties and his boxers. His fingers alternated between drawing light circles around his mounds and pinching my tips.

I arched my back at the feeling, trying to press my bosom into his hands even more. Placing one hand on each of his thighs behind me, I began to rock my hips back and forth against his solid shaft. For the first time, I was in control of my own pleasure and I was using him to get what I wanted.

"You're so hot like this, Levy," he rasped.

I couldn't even respond, as I was moaning at the sensations building in my body.

I felt Gajeel remove his hands from my breasts and I brought my head back up to see why he had stopped. I looked down when I felt his hands on my hips again. I gasped as I saw one of his fingers turn into a slender metal blade. He carefully lifted the thin part of my panties up with one hand and slid the knife underneath. Within a second, my panties were ripped in two before he repeated the movement on the other side. The result was the small bit of cloth falling down to expose my womanhood for his viewing pleasure.

"Don't stop," he commanded. I followed his orders and began my rocking motion again. My movements stuttered as I felt his fingers on my clit. They were mostly still at first, allowing me to press myself into his thumb with each rock of my hips. But as I continued my movements, he began to draw circles around the pleasure button.

He had me nearly panting when he began to pinch my lips between his thumb and index finger, rotating the grip so it rubbed against the small pearl on the sides as well. I nearly lost hold on reality when his other hand came up and began to tease the tip of one breast again.

My movements became faster and more in tune with the rhythm of his fingers. I felt my breasts bouncing in the air but I wasn't worried about how I looked because when I looked down, Gajeel was staring back at me with those red eyes, full of lust.

"Oh fuck! Levy come for me. I want to see you come on top of me," he drawled.

I moaned his name under my breath as I continued my movements. I was starting to feel the clenching in my core with more intensity. My lower lips were growing increasingly sensitive and my entire body was sending shivers straight to my vulva.

One hard push on my clit with his thumb was all I needed to finally climax. My rocking stopped as I let out scream of his name. The pleasure welling in my core finally broke free and spread its tingling sensation all the way from my fingertips to my toes. I nearly collapsed against him as my core clenched and unclenched, heat radiating through me with each contraction of the muscle.

I was still breathing heavy when I felt him flip me over so that I was lying underneath him. I smiled up at him from my spot below. He had spread his legs so his knees were on either side of chest. He pulled his boxers down just enough so that his manhood sprang free.

He grabbed it with his hand and started pumping it vigorously over me. I loved the feeling of looking up at him from this position. Especially after having just experienced being above him, now being below him made me feel even more consumed by him.

I looked up to see his manhood thick in his hand. His face was strained as he headed towards his release. I lifted one of my hands to tickle the underside of his sac. He gasped as my fingers caressed the sensitive flesh.

I let my other hand reach up to feel his clenching abdominals. I trailed my fingers down the hardened muscles and grinned at the feeling of it. _"Oh fuck me, he is all man,"_ I thought in my pleasure haze.

"Levy," my name was a whisper on his lips as he began to lean his head back. I realized he was about to climax and I moved my elbows underneath me to prop myself up. I brought my head up to the tip of his shaft and opened my mouth wide, letting my tongue touch his tip.

I smiled at him with my mouth wide and looked into his hot, red gaze. "Fuck you're hot," he gasped. At the same time, he grabbed the back of my head and pushed me onto his shaft. I felt him release into my mouth and I moaned in pleasure as I drank him down.

His large tool pulsed its release against my tongue. When he was finally finished, I swirled my appendage around his tool, cleaning him of his essence. I let my head fall back down to the bed and I licked my lips while still looking up at him.

His fingers trailed down my collarbone, before lightly teasing my nipple affectionately. "How did you know I love breakfast in bed?" I giggled.

A look of shock was on his face before he washed it off with a smirk. "Looks like I'm turning you into a dirty girl, huh Blue?" he let out his signature laugh.

"Not _a_ dirty girl, Gajeel. _You're_ dirty girl," I chided.

"Is that so?" he chuckled as he began to climb off me.

I snickered and began to tease him. "Don't you want me to be your _bad girl_?" I put extra emphasis on the last two words.

He grinned before saying, "Oh, you _know_ I do. And I've got plenty in store for you, just you wait."

A shudder passed through my body at his words.

. . .

An hour or so later found us on our way to the guildhall. Despite my jest about breakfast in bed, Gajeel had little at his apartment besides some scrap metal and I actually did want something substantial to eat.

We barely got through the door when I was knocked down by an inebriated Cana. "Lev, Lev!" she slurred from our place on the floor. "Tell me all about your job!" She pulled back and whispered in my ear. I grimaced, smelling the alcohol on her breath, "And Lucy tells me she caught you two in a compromising position," she added.

"Cana!" I huffed, trying to push her off.

Gajeel shifted and Cana seemed to notice his presence. She looked up at the intimidating man before yelling, "Hey there, Black Steel! You look less pissed off than usual. Wanna tell me why?" she teased as she waggled her eyebrows.

Gajeel just grunted in response. I finally managed to push Cana off me and he reached down to help me up. "You alright, Blue?"

I jumped in surprise when Cana started laughing loudly beside me. She doubled over, letting her bottle of wine fall to the floor as she clutched her stomach. "What the heck is up with you?" I frowned at her.

"It's too much!" she cried, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes.

"What's too much?" I was genuinely interested in what had her in such a state.

She pointed up at us from her spot on the floor. "You two!" I tensed at her words. I hadn't really thought about how the guild might react to Gajeel and me being— _"I don't even know what you would call us at this point. Lovers?"_ We hadn't really talked about labeling things, but for some strange reason, none of that silly stuff really mattered to me. I knew that I loved him and that he loved me. That was it. It was finally simple.

"Spit it out, drunk," Gajeel said gruffly, rolling his shoulders.

Cana sat up in a cross-legged position, wiping the rest of the tears from her eyes. "You two!" she sighed. "Black and Blue! You guys make a bruise!" As soon as the words left her lips she was doubled over laughing again.

I frowned at her words. I really liked the new nickname Gajeel had given me and I didn't want Cana going around and ruining it for us.

A sweet voice from my left had me turning around, "Oh don't worry about her," it said. "She's just drunk as usual."

"Lu!" I smiled brightly at my best friend, before embracing her in a hug. "Did you make it back to your place safe last night?"

Gajeel audibly sniffed the air before letting out his signature laugh. I quirked my eyebrow up at him before turning my eyes back to Lucy. She shifted nervously under my gaze. "Yeah, definitely," she said, looking at the ground.

"Uh-okay," I hesitated. _"What's up with her? I'm going to have to ask her later when we're alone."_

"We were gonna grab some breakfast," I continued. "Want to join us?"

She shook her head before smiling at me. "Natsu and I already ate, but thanks!"

"Okay, well," I grabbed her arm lightly before I whispered in her ear, "Can we get together later? Maybe at my place, around four?"

I wanted to make sure my friend was okay. She was acting strange and I needed to get to the bottom of it. She nodded her head back at me before whispering, "Four at your place works for me! See you then!" She walked back over to where Natsu was sitting and I turned my attention back to my own Slayer.

He looked down at me with a smirk. "What?" I asked.

"Nothing," he grunted. I sighed at his antics before walking with him up to the bar to order breakfast.

. . .

"So what now, do you want to take another job?" I asked Gajeel as I pushed my finished breakfast plate away from me.

He rubbed the back of his neck and looked over to where Panther Lily was chatting with Carla. "I'd like to, but I promised Panther Lily I'd take a job with him when we got back."

I must have looked crestfallen because he continued, "Don't worry. We'll keep it short. Just a day job. I'm not leaving Magnolia, especially with Silver still out there."

I had kind of forgotten about how the third Treasure Hunter was still on the loose. I didn't really have much cause for worry when I was with Gajeel. Having him around made me feel completely safe. Between the two of us, I was confident there was nothing we couldn't handle.

"Do you really think he'd come after us, all the way in Magnolia?" I wondered out loud.

Gajeel growled before saying, "Definitely. I don't trust that bastard. He shot at you and at me. He was aiming to kill. Dick's got no sense of morality, that much was clear."

I agreed with him. He did try and fill Gajeel with a ton of bullets. Had it been anyone else, he certainly would have killed him. And if I hadn't been able to crawl behind that stone column in time, I could have met the same fate.

I smiled up at him, "Okay then. You take that job with Panther Lily and I'll try and find myself a translation job I can do from home. I promised Lu I'd meet with her at my place around four today anyways."

Gajeel crossed his arms at me. "I'd rather you not leave the guild hall until I get back from my job."

I raised my eyebrow at his words before I opened my mouth to argue. "Gajeel," I jabbed my finger lightly into his forearm. "I think it's really sweet that you're worried about me, but I'm not going to play prisoner just out of fear. I haven't been home in a few days and I really would like to grab some clean clothes!"

He let out a heavy sigh before he lifted me onto his lap. "No sense arguing with you, huh Blue?" he breathed into my hair.

"Smart man," I giggled, as he pressed a light kiss against my neck.

A loud whistle from across the room broke us out of our moment. We turned to see a drunker Cana besides a laughing Bickslow. I rolled my eyes at the pair.

. . .

Within the hour I said my goodbyes to Gajeel and Panther Lily as they headed out to take care of a Vulcan problem on the edge of town. I promised Gajeel I would wait at my apartment until he met me there that evening.

In the meantime, I figured I would work on the translation job I found. I set about grabbing the few books I needed from the guild library before I headed towards my apartment. It was still well before four but I figured I could go home, freshen up and get a jump-start on this job before Lucy came over.

As I walked, I found myself deep in thought about my exchange with Lucy. _"She seemed so uncomfortable when I asked her if she had gotten home safely. Did something happen? I hope she's okay!"_ I internally worried. _"But why did Gajeel sniff the air and then laugh? Aside from the fact that he's strange that way sometimes,"_ I laughed to myself.

I was so engrossed in my own thoughts that I didn't see the wisp of silver hair up on the roof above me before it was too late. I felt a pinch in my arm and looked down. My vision started to blur as my eyes tried to focus on the small metal dart with red fringe.

I fell to the ground and a shadow cast itself over me. "We meet again, little miss," it said, before I passed out.

END CHAPTER 17


	18. Poison

. . .

I was so engrossed in my own thoughts that I didn't see the wisp of silver hair up on the roof above me before it was too late. I felt a pinch in my arm and looked down. My vision started to blur as my eyes tried to focus on the small metal dart with red fringe.

I fell to the ground and a shadow cast itself over me. "We meet again, little miss," it said, before I passed out.

. . .

A rough smack across my face violently woke me from my drug-induced haze. I tried to remember what had happened before I blacked out.

 _"Okay, I was walking. Right, I was walking from the guild to my apartment. Why? Because I was going to meet Lucy. Okay then what happened?"_ I tried desperately to get the fog to clear from my brain so I could think straight. _"Something hit my arm and I passed out. And now I'm here, wherever here is."_

A grating laugh from above me had me looking up from where I was sitting. I looked down to find that I was tied to a chair. It was a crude job; a bit of rope had been wrapped around my waist several times, holding me to the chair. My hands were clasped behind my back by metal cuffs. I tried to move my finger and cast a spell but nothing happened.

"Nice try," the voice said from above me. I looked up again and sure enough, the silver-haired man was standing above me. "Those cuffs block magic power. You're not getting out of those anytime soon. Too bad for you." He leaned his face in closer to mine and brushed his thumb across my lips. I tried to turn my head away from him but he grabbed me roughly by the chin and forced my head back so I would look at him.

"I wouldn't get impolite with me, missy. No one knows where you are right now so you better be nice."

I just wanted him to stop touching me. His fingers felt disgusting on my skin. I gave him a cold look and spit in his direction. He recoiled and sneered at me as he wiped his face. "Wrong move," he seethed. In a second he was holding a small handgun to my head. I grimaced as I felt the cold metal press against me.

"That's what I thought," he smirked, pulling the gun away from me. "Now be a good girl and sit still."

"What is it you think you're going to do anyways? Why kidnap me?" I asked him as he leaned himself against a medal desk in the corner. My vision had finally cleared and I was able to get a clear look at my surroundings. We were in some sort of an abandoned room. It looked mostly unused, as there was a layer of dust on everything. The room was small and felt cold and damp. There was a single lamp hanging from the center of the room's ceiling and a second small light on the desk where the silver man was leaning.

The man laughed before he spoke. "Ever since winning the Grand Magic Games that guild of yours is rich. Everyone knows how large the payout is. Well, I intend to cash in on some of that for myself."

"You're pretty stupid if you think that Fairy Tail is going to give in to blackmail. You obviously haven't done your research cause it hasn't worked before," I snorted back at him.

"We'll see," is all he said. "And even if it doesn't work out, I still want the chance to get back at that iron freak you've been whoring yourself out to." He scowled as he placed the gun back into its holster on his back pocket. "You and that prick got my partners arrested and I haven't forgotten that. Our guild lost a lot of clients from that little stunt of yours and you two are going to pay for it."

 _"I really need to figure a way out of here. Or at least figure out how to alert someone. I have no idea what this guy intends to do and I can't rely on someone coming to find me. I don't even know where we are."_ I looked around the room once more. It was so dark so it was hard to see, but I could just make out the outline of a small window on the wall opposite me. No sun was pouring through so I figured it must be night. _"That tranquilizer must have knocked me out for several hours."_

"What was that thing you shot me with?" I tried not to sound too alert. I didn't want this guy thinking that I had completely recovered from the effects. I realized that I might be able to use that to my advantage.

He leered at me. "Oh that? It's a type of paralyzer I use when I go hunting. It paralyzes the victim and knocks them out for several hours. I gave your little body an extra heavy dose. My guess is you won't be able to move properly until tomorrow so don't try and get any ideas.

 _"So that must be why he didn't tie me up all that well. He thinks that I still can't move or that I can't move much."_ I wiggled my fingers behind my back to try and test out how much feeling I had. While I felt like I had a bad case of pins and needles, I was still able to at least move my fingers. I only hoped that the rest of my body was like that too. _"It's too risky to test it without alerting him to the fact that a lot of the effects may have already worn off."_

A noise outside startled us both and the man crouched low behind the desk, with a larger gun seemingly appearing in his hands. Everything was silent for what felt like an eternity before he raised himself up slowly. I saw him look around before he cautiously walked to the other side of the room. He opened a door that I hadn't been able to see in the darkness and walked through. He turned around to look at me before he closed it. I did my best to look completely out of it and exhausted.

My ruse must have worked because he closed the door behind him before going to check out the surrounding area.

 _"This is my chance!"_ I willed my muscles to work. I tried to lift myself up from the chair but my legs were barely cooperating. Instead, I started to use my feet to pull myself along the floor towards the window. It felt like an eternity before I finally made it to the opposite side of the small room.

I began to use my feet and my body weight as best as I could to rotate the chair so that I was facing away from the window. When I finally had myself situated the way I wanted, I took a deep breath. Mustering as much energy as I could find within myself, I pushed my legs into the ground to raise myself up. The chair stayed attached to me and I pushed myself off the ground, flinging myself into the glass of the window.

I felt the cold material before I heard it crack as my hands were still cuffed behind my back. I was successful in that the glass did break but I was unsuccessful in the fact that I lost my balance as my strength gave out. I fell backwards out the window and landed hard on the ground beneath me. I felt a sharp pain in my right arm and I hissed. Despite my hurt, I had a moment where I thanked whoever was watching over me that we were only on the ground floor. Had the room been on a higher floor, I could easily have injured myself further, or worse.

I was panting from just the small effort already but I knew I needed to get myself away from this place so that I could find help. With my muscles barely working and my magic being blocked by these cuffs, I knew I had very little chance of defending myself.

I tried to get a feel for where we were. I looked up from my spot on the ground to realize that there was very little light, even from the moon. _"We must be out in a forest somewhere where the trees are blocking the stars."_ My theory was confirmed when I felt the ground beneath me was dirt and tree roots.

As I began trying to turn myself over so I could crawl away from where I was sure the silver man would return, I nearly screamed as a large hand wrapped itself around my mouth. Flight or fight kicked in and I started to struggle to try and get away. The color red came into my field of vision when I finally opened my eyes and I breathed a heavy sigh of relief when I found myself looking into the crimson eyes of Gajeel.

I nearly cried when I realized who it was and that I wasn't alone anymore. Within seconds he had me untied from the chair. He bit through the metal cuffs and they fell from my wrists. I instantly felt a wave of energy pass over me as my magic power was no longer being blocked. _"Those cuffs must have also delayed my recovery from the tranquilizer."_

I pushed myself up into a shaky standing position as I felt Gajeel's hands wrap around my waist. Tears continued to leak from my eyes as all the emotions from the entire event finally started to flood into the front of my brain.

He held me tight but he hushed me before whispering, "Got to keep quiet. I need to get you out of here before this turns violent."

I tried to quiet my sobs as my shoulders shuddered. My rescuer leaned down so that I could piggyback onto him. He started to run through the forest as I bounced on his back, trying not to make any noise.

The silence was broken as shots rang out around us. I let out a near scream as Gajeel tried to find us cover from the rain of bullets around us. He finally found a large tree and he ducked behind it. "Quick," he said in a hurried voice, "Make a force field to protect yourself."

I complied and used what little power I had to erect an invisible shield around us.

"You can't run forever!" a voice yelled from somewhere behind us.

Gajeel growled at the sound of the silver man's words. I grabbed his arm as he turned to leave the shelter. "I've got to deal with this guy," he turned and said to me. His eyes softened as he saw the fear on my face. "Like you said, we're not going to let him make us prisoners of fear."

I swallowed thickly before nodding my head. "Be careful. I don't know what this guy's planning."

Gajeel gave me a cocky grin before saying, "He better be worried about what I've got planned for him." His voice dropped to a fierce whisper. "No one steals from me."

Gajeel stepped out from behind the tree and raised his arms up over his head. "Hey dickhead, remember me?"

The forest was deadly quiet before the silver man responded. "If it isn't the iron freak. So glad we got the chance to meet again. I've been working on something special for you," the voice taunted.

Gajeel looked as if he were listening intently and sniffing the area. My guess is that with how dark it was, it was difficult for him to pinpoint exactly where the man was. Gajeel goaded him into talking more, "Oh yeah? And what might that be?" He cocked his head to the side, waiting to hear an answer.

"I'm so glad you asked," the voice responded, seemingly from another spot around us. "I'll let you find out for yourself!"

Three shots rang out around us and I saw one implant itself into Gajeel's calf. The impact made him fall to the ground. I watched and waited for him to turn himself to iron again but he just stayed there, grasping his injured leg.

"What the hell is this?" he yelled up to the guy.

The man chuckled before he appeared between some trees in front of Gajeel. He was wearing all black and sporting a green headband with his guild's logo. His silver hair reflected what little light there was. I could see the cocky smile on his lips as the bastard approached Gajeel.

"Those bullets contained a acid-copper solution." His shoulders shook as he laughed. "Guaranteed to make metal rust. And for someone like you, I took my chances that it would work like a poison. I guess I was right!"

_"I've got to do something! But what? The moment I step out from this shield, he'll shoot me."_

I looked around at my surroundings, trying to come up with a plan. That's when I saw a bit of blond hair crouched behind a tree a few feet away from me.

 _"It's Lucy!"_ We made eye contact but she held her finger up to her lips to try and keep me quiet. I guess she didn't want Silver knowing she was there.

"Who the hell are you anyways?" Gajeel's voice was strained as he slowly got on his feet. I turned to look at him and could tell the poison was affecting him.

"I'm Drake and I am the Sylph Labyrinth Guild's master marksman. You messed with the wrong guys when you tried to steal that bracelet from us!" His eyes gleamed fiercely in the low light.

Gajeel's breath was somewhat labored but he was trying not to let it show. "You stole that bracelet originally. We were returning it to its owners."

I could tell Gajeel was trying to buy time. _"Maybe he's trying to figure out a way to isolate the poison in his body or something. I've got to figure out a way to help him. I can't just leave him out there like this!"_

I looked back towards Lucy, who was still crouched down behind the tree. However, this time, Loke was there next to her. I'm glad she called for backup, but I didn't understand what they were waiting for.

My question was answered as Natsu came barreling through the trees. He took the marksman by such complete surprise that he was able to land a flaming punch right into the guys' jaw. That gave Lucy and Loke enough time to burst out from behind the trees and launch their own attack while the man was down.

"Regulus Impact!" Loke yelled as bright light flashed around us. My guildmembers didn't give the guy a chance to even fight back. Once he was down, they kept pummeling him until I was a little worried about whether he'd ever be able to get up.

When it was clear that no one was at risk of being shot, I released the force field around me and ran to Gajeel. By this time, he had collapsed on the ground and was holding his leg. I ran up to him and put my arms around him as best as I could.

He lifted his eyes and I looked into his red gaze. A smile graced his lips. "So glad you're safe, Blue," he whispered before he passed out.

"Gajeel!" I gasped. I looked around. Loke had disappeared and Lucy and Natsu were walking towards us. Natsu was dragging Drake by his jacket behind him. "Hurry!" I yelled towards them. "We've got to get him to Wendy! He's been poisoned!"

. . .

The last few hours were a complete blur to me. Natsu had carried Gajeel on his back as fast as he could back to the guild so Wendy could treat him. Lucy and I had stayed in the woods with the thoroughly unconscious Drake until the authorities arrived to arrest him.

Lucy helped me back to the guild afterwards. While I was strong enough to walk on my own power, the walk back into town was completely exhausting and by the time I made it back to the guildhall, I was very near collapsing.

I walked into the medical room to meet with Wendy. Gajeel was resting in one of the cots. "How is he?" I asked anxiously.

"He's going to be fine," Wendy said in her sweet voice. "But he's going to be pretty exhausted for the next day or so until his body recovers from the trauma."

"Do you know anything about that poison?" I wanted to try and find out everything I could, so that if this ever happened in the future, I knew what to do.

Wendy sighed before she spoke. "The substance pushed through his body pretty quickly. But that might be because he kept trying to activate his dragonforce mode."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the poison was designed to make metal rust, so if he didn't keep trying to shift, it wouldn't have been able to spread through his body as quickly."

"I see." _"This is a scary scenario when you think of it. If injected with the substance, it stops him from shifting into his most powerful form."_

Wendy placed her hand over mine before breaking me out of my train of thought. "You should get some rest yourself." She looked me over quickly and noticed that I was holding my arm close to my body. "You need to let me take a look at that."

I frowned a bit. "You've already done so much already, Wendy." But she wouldn't take no for an answer. Within a few minutes of her doing her healing spells, my arm seemed back to normal.

"Now I want you to rest. You're magic power has been heavily depleted so you need plenty of sleep to recover," Wendy instructed me.

I nodded at her and smiled before she left the room. "Thanks again, for everything, Wendy. We are all so glad you are here."

She smiled back at me before she finally exited. I turned back to see Gajeel asleep on the cot. I walked over to him and placed a kiss on his forehead. His skin was hot and I could tell that his body was trying to heal itself. I pulled back and noticed that he had cracked an eye open to look at me. "Sorry," I smiled at him. "Didn't mean to wake you. Go back to sleep."

He grabbed my hand as I began to turn around. "You're not leaving, are you?" he rasped.

I turned back to him. "Not ever."

"Good," he grunted. He pulled my hand down hard so that I fell onto the cot with him. I giggled and kicked off my shoes before tucking my legs under the covers. I sighed as he put his arms around me and hugged me close.

"Thanks for coming to save me," I whispered against his hot skin.

He hummed lowly before saying, "I am never letting you out of my sight again, you know that right?"

I yawned. "I know." I felt his breathing even as we both fell into a deep sleep.


	19. Kitchen Prep

. . .

"Thanks for coming to save me," I whispered against his hot skin.

He hummed lowly before saying, "I am never letting you out of my sight again, you know that right?"

I yawned. "I know." I felt his breathing even as we both fell into a deep sleep.

. . .

His fingers were on my skin and it felt disgusting. I tried not to look up at the silver-haired man as he brushed his thumb over my lips. I started to struggle against my restraints but my muscles wouldn't cooperate. He just laughed from above me before he roughly shoved his thumb into my mouth. I screamed and started to thrash harder.

A deep, calming voice began to echo around me. It was calling my name but I couldn't figure out from where it was coming.

"Levy! Levy!" It called my name over and over again before my mind finally started to clear. I opened my eyes to find myself looking at the ceiling of Fairy Tail's infirmary. I turned to the side to see not silver, but raven black hair next to me. I let out a sigh as I finally realized where I was.

"Sorry," I mumbled against Gajeel's chest. He had pulled me close to him. A small tear leaked from my eyes and I tried not to let the other ones follow.

His voice was hushed. "Hey, it's okay. I'm here now. That bastard is _never_ going to put his hands on you." His voice had a ferocity to it.

I let him hug me tighter and tried to absorb his words. I trembled before I spoke. "I think I just need to sleep in my own bed. I think being home might help."

I felt Gajeel's head nod from above me. "I agree. I think we can both manage to hobble the few blocks over," he chuckled, "as long as we take the elevator once we get there."

I giggled and burrowed myself further into his chest. "No arguments from me this time."

. . .

Dragging ourselves the few blocks from the guild to my apartment was a bit tougher than I thought it would be. Lucy had offered to help us, but Gajeel said we would be fine and I wasn't going to argue with him. If I had to be honest, I just wanted some alone time with him anyways.

When we finally got back to my apartment, we all but fell through the door. Kicking off our clothes as we walked through my place, we climbed into bed and promptly passed out.

Both of us slept deeply as our bodies worked on healing. I had to recover from a near depletion of magic power while Gajeel had to recover from being badly poisoned.

When I finally awoke from my hibernation, I looked down at Gajeel. He was sleeping peacefully on the bed besides me. I carefully put my cheek against his forehead to feel his temperature. _"He's cool. I'm so glad. I was so worried that his fever wouldn't go down."_

As quietly as I could, I crawled out from the bed. I knew he needed more rest, since he had been injured worse than me and I didn't want to disturb him. Tiptoeing into the bathroom, I closed the door behind me and slowly turned on the shower. I really wanted to finally wash all the events from the past day off of me before I did anything else.

I felt so much better as I stepped out of the shower, finally clean. I tried to let everything that happened to me run off me and down the drain. Cracking the bedroom door open, I peeked in to see Gajeel sprawled out across the entire bed, still fast asleep. I quickly grabbed a sleep shirt and pair of panties from my closet before exiting the room.

My stomach growled, reminding me that it had been far too long since I'd had a proper meal. _"At some point, Gajeel's going to wake up too. I'm sure he'll be famished. I should try and get something ready."_

Walking into my kitchen, I opened my fridge to see what ingredients I had on hand. _"Hmm, I've got eggs and a bunch of veggies that are about to turn. I suppose I could make an omelette."_

I pulled out my cutting board and placed all the ingredients I needed out on the counter. Within a few minutes, I had everything washed and began chopping large piles of tomatoes, peppers and onions. Given that both of us hadn't eaten in practically two days, I was expecting to make extra helpings.

I smiled as I heard soft footsteps approach from behind me. Without turning around I spoke, "I thought you would still be asleep." His strong, warm arms wrapped around my slender waist as he hugged my back to his front. He kissed my neck before placing his head on top of my shoulder.

"I smelled food and thought I'd see what you were making." He seemed back to normal. His voice was its melodic self and I didn't sense any trembling in his stance as I had when we walked to my apartment.

I put my knife down and wiped my hands on the towel in front of me. I turned in his arms and he pulled me tight against his frame before he kissed me deeply.

His lips moved against mine and I felt like it had been an eternity since his heated skin was against mine like this. I allowed myself to fall into him as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

I could feel him smirk against my lips. He leaned down and grabbing the back of my thighs, he lifted me up so that I wrapped my legs around his hips. He walked us over to the couch, our lips never breaking contact before he sat down so that I was straddling him.

I finally pulled back to catch my breath. His eyes were staring at me intently. Before I knew it, he was hugging me fiercely. His squeeze was so tight I was having trouble catching full breaths. I felt his body shudder against mine before he finally spoke into my hair. "Shit, Blue. I thought," he was struggling to get the words out. "I thought I lost you. By the time I got back from my job and Lucy told me you weren't at your apartment, it must have been hours." His breathing was ragged as he continued. "Tell me he didn't do anything to you." He pulled back and looked at me with his piercing gaze. To be honest, it scared me a little. "If he did, I swear to God, I'll kill him."

I placed my hands on his and squeezed them tightly. I shook my head and let out a deep breath. "He didn't try anything. I was only awake for a few minutes by the time you showed up."

His hands switched so that he was grasping mine tightly. "But are you _sure?_ He could have done something to you while you were passed out."

I shivered at his words. He was right. That bastard could have done anything to me while I was unconscious. But I shook my head again. "Gajeel, I would know if he did something. I would have felt it after or my clothes would have been out of place." He let his gaze fall and I dropped my head so that I was leaning against his shoulder. "You saved me. I don't know what would have happened without you."

His growl was low and he kept his head down. "No. I left you alone. I left you alone when I knew that guy was out there. It's my fault that all this happened."

I brought my hand up to his chin so he would look me in the eye. "That's not true. You're not to blame for any of this. I should have been more aware of my surroundings instead of getting caught up. Please don't do that. Please don't blame yourself."

A tear leaked from one of Gajeel's eye and I wiped it away quickly with my thumb. I pulled his head into my chest and held him tight. "I'm just happy that I'm here with you." I felt his arms wrap around me and we just held each other for a while.

After a time, Gajeel lifted his head. I locked eyes with him and smiled. "I've missed you," I said coyly.

He gave me a cocky grin, before responding, "Oh yeah? How's that?"

Still straddling him in just my nightshirt and panties, I rocked my core against him to show him just what I meant. He was stripped down to just a pair of tight fitting boxer briefs and I allowed my hands to roam his chest and shoulders.

Gajeel hummed his approval as he grabbed onto my hips to direct their movement. He rocked his own hardening core into mine and I gasped at the sensations he caused. "I'll be honest," his voice was quiet so I could barely hear him. He wrapped one hand around the back of my neck and pulled me down so that he could lick the shell of my ear. I felt my core begin to weep at his teasing. "Watching you standing there in the kitchen," his tongue was swiping against my lobe now. "Got me really fucking horny." He pulled the bit of skin into his mouth and nibbled on it gently with his teeth.

My breath hitched before I could respond. "And why's that?" I goaded, still rocking my core into his. The silk of my sleepshirt was doing nothing to hide the fact that my nipples were already standing erect, almost begging for Gajeel's attention.

His lips released my ear and he started to trail kisses across my skin. First on the high part of my neck and then lower, as he worked his way towards my collarbone. His breath was hot on my skin as he spoke. "Fuck, Levy," he said between kisses. "I just wanted to bend you over that counter and finally make you mine." As he said the words, he sucked a portion of my neck into his mouth. I gasped at his crude words and matching actions. I felt his tongue swipe over the skin causing what was sure to be a love mark the next day.

Call me sleezy but I didn't care. If the rest of the world couldn't handle seeing the evidence of me and Gajeel's trysts then the rest of the world could suck it, as far as I was concerned. I loved the feeling of Gajeel's tongue against my skin and I was never going to ask him to control himself around me. I wanted him wild and completely himself.

I let my hands move from his broad chest to his bulging shoulders. My hand slid down to feel his solid biceps. I let my hand fall further and drew circles around the piercings on his forearms.

His hand lifted to caress me above my shirt. His movements were agonizingly slow. First, his fingers caressed my stomach before his fingers moved up the valley between my peaks. He continued to press kisses into my neck and on my collarbone before his fingers started tracing large circles around my perky mounds.

His shaft was completely solid against my core now and I continued to rub myself against it. I had surely soaked through my own panties by this time. His words kept replaying in my mind over and over again as we pleasured each other. My only response was, _"I want to be his too."_ I didn't even have to think about it; I knew it was what I wanted.

His lips left my neck briefly as his hands began to slide under my shirt. As the ascended, they brought the small bit of silky material up with it. I gave him a coy smile and lifted my arms above my head to make his job easier.

His signature laugh sounded around us and I gasped as my breasts finally bounced free, my nipples puckering further in the cold air. Within seconds my shirt was on the ground and Gajeel's mouth was on one of my peaks. His tongue darted out of his mouth as he looked up at me. His gaze was intense as he traced a circle around my tip. He mirrored the motion with his fingers on my other breast, careful not to touch my nipple.

I was all but begging for him to finally give me what I wanted before his tongue and finger brushed over the tip. I gasped at the sensations and felt my arousal growing. As he lavished attention on my sensitive peaks, I continued to grind my core against his. I could feel my walls tightening as he continued his movements.

His tongue and fingers switched places so that I could feel his wet appendage moving against my other peak as well. I moaned his name and threw my head back, pushing my chest into his mouth further.

Before I knew it, he moved us so that I was laying lengthways with the couch and he was pressing me into the cushions. I spread my legs wide for him, with just a small slip of drenched cotton covering my core. As he thrust himself against me, I could feel my breasts brushing against his hardened chest. The sensations felt amazing as his lips descended onto mine.

Our kiss was wet as he pushed his tongue into my mouth. Our muscles swirled around each other before he sucked mine into his mouth. A moan sent vibrations against his lips before we finally broke for air. He thrust his shaft against me once more before he let his head fall into the crook of my neck.

His breathing was heavy as I let my fingertips dance along his well-defined back. "Gajeel," I spoke his name quietly.

He grunted as he tried to slow his breathing. "I want to feel all of you," I whispered against his ear.

His head lifted so that he was looking into my eyes. His brow furrowed before he spoke. "What do you mean?"

I was too far-gone for blushing. I was finally ready and I knew what I wanted—him. "What you were saying before." I held his gaze. "I want to be yours. Make me yours."

His eyes widened as he looked at me. I bit my lower lip, waiting for his response. "Do you mean it? Won't it be your first—?"

I cut him off before he could finish. "I want to experience all of you, Gajeel."

His voice was low and fierce. "If we do this, you'll belong to me and no one else?" It was a question but it felt like a statement.

I nodded my head. "I _love_ you, Gajeel. I don't want anybody else but you."

"Fuck, Levy. I love you so much." I barely had time to process his words before his lips were on mine again. He began to thrust against me with more vigor and I pushed my body up into his. The feeling of his skin felt amazing, as it brushed against my own. I couldn't wait to experience everything this man had to offer.

I almost whimpered as he lifted himself off of me. I shivered as his heat left my body but I wasn't without his warmth for long. He quickly lifted me up off the couch and I wrapped my legs around his waist. He walked us through the bathroom before nearly kicking open the door to my bedroom.

He took the few steps forward before we reached the edge of my bed. The lights were off in my room but the last shred of the day's sunlight was filtering through my curtains. He lowered me down onto the bed and I unwrapped my legs from his body as I fell into the comforter's soft embrace.

I just laid there, looking up at him with him looking down at me. I took in his entire form. His hair was in its black spikes, a little messier than usual given our current activity. His chest was bare and glistened with just the smallest hint of sweat from our previous efforts. Black boxer briefs with a grey waistband hugged his muscled thighs. I watched as he brought his hand up to the back of his neck. The movement caused his biceps to flex as his metal studs shimmered in the low lighting. If anyone had ever told me that I would be giving myself to such a wild man, I would never have believed it. But as I laid on the bed, taking in all of him, I couldn't imagine being with anyone else.

I propped myself up on my elbows and gave him a lustful look. "Come and fuck me, Gajeel. I've been waiting all my life for you."

A smile slowly crawled across his lips, raising the corner of his mouth ever so slightly. He let his hand fall from his neck to his side before the bed depressed with his weight.

I let myself fall back onto the bed. As he moved over me, the last bit of sunlight disappeared from outside and we became completely engulfed in shadows.

 


	20. Lemonade

. . .

I propped myself up on my elbows and gave him a lustful look. "Come and fuck me, Gajeel. I've been waiting all my life for you."

A smile slowly crawled across his lips, raising the corner of his mouth ever so slightly. He let his hand fall from his neck to his side before the bed depressed with his weight.

I let myself fall back onto the bed. As he moved over me, the last bit of sunlight disappeared from outside and we became completely engulfed in shadows.

. . .

I felt the space darken around me as his wild mane caged us. As I looked up, I could see his red eyes gleaming in the low light. The way he looked at me made me feel completely at ease. My mind flickered back to a conversation I had had with Cana when I was younger.

_"But how do you know it's the right person and whether you should have sex with him?"_

_Cana just smiled at me from above her beer mug. "It's less about finding the 'right' person and more about how you feel. Would you regret sleeping with that person after the fact? If not, then I say go for it!"_

While I was never as unrestrained as Cana, I always held on to those words. Seeing the way Gajeel looked at me now, not only did I know that I would never regret this decision, no matter the future, but I think I had actually done the impossible and found the "right guy."

Gajeel's words broke me out of my reverie. "I've wanted you for so long, Levy. I'm afraid this all might be some sort of a dream," he chuckled against my cheek, almost as if he were saying it to himself.

I caressed his skin with mine before responding. "It's not a dream. Take me, Gajeel. I want to belong to only you."

He growled at my words before he crashed his lips down onto mine. I let him dominate the kiss as he pushed his tongue into my own mouth. Our appendages rubbed sensually against one another. I swirled my tongue against his before he broke the kiss to nibble my lower lip. I moaned at the sensations he was building in me.

His hand moved from where it supported him on my right side to caress the side of my body. His fingers trailed a hot path against my skin as he slowly felt the side of my breast on his ascent. His hand brushed against my shoulder before traveling the length of my neck to firmly grasp my chin. He used his grip on me to tilt my head to the side so he could deepen our kiss.

His grip was strong and I loved feeling completely at his mercy. His lips left mine as he pushed my head further to the side to fully expose my neck. I gasped as he began sucking portions of skin into his neck with more vigor than usual. I could tell he was trying to hold himself back but even still, his movements had a wild feel to them.

His teeth pinched at my neck as he drew the skin into his mouth to suck on it forcefully. I moaned as he swiped his tongue over the tender flesh. I arched my back and brought my hands up to my own breasts since I was getting impatient with his pace.

But the moment I tried to touch myself, his hands clamped down firmly on my wrists as he pushed my arms on either side of my body into the bed. "Not yet," he tsked. "Be a good girl and wait patiently."

I was so shocked by his actions that I didn't have a chance to formulate a response. He released my wrists and moved his mouth further down my body. He began licking the skin on my collarbone. He was so close to where I wanted him but his pace was so slow.

"Gajeel," I moaned his name as he nibbled the skin between my neck and shoulder.

He smirked against my flesh. "Someone's anxious." I gasped as his hand caressed me from my stomach until it was just below my breast. His thumb started tracing a slow line at the bottom of my mound. "I want you begging for your release, Levy. I want to see you writhing in pleasure." His words were whispers against my skin.

I was starting to feel my arousal drip between my thighs. Despite my panties' best efforts at keeping it contained, the small slip of material was no match for Gajeel. Said man raised himself up so that he was straddling me above my waist. His hands began to trace slow circles around my breasts, avoiding the tips as he caressed me.

I was panting in pleasure and I was almost reduced to begging when his fingers finally made contact with that sensitive bit of flesh. I gasped as both his thumbs simultaneously swiped over my nipples and my back arched up involuntarily. "Fuck yes," he exclaimed under his breath. "I've wanted to see you like this for so long."

"You've seen me like this before, Gajeel," I managed to say between gasps. He just grunted at my words. His fingers never stopped their teasing, as they continued to pass lightly over my nipples as he traced circles around my mounds.

Finally, he brought his index finger and thumb together, pinching my tips ever so slightly. I was already so strung out by this point that just this small movement had me thrashing beneath him. I brought my hands up to cover my face as my body squirmed. Despite my movements, his fingers never left my peaks. I could feel the tension building in my core, to the point where all I wanted was for him to be inside me.

I threw my head back, "Oh, Gajeel, please," I begged.

He just continued his movements with a smirk. Bringing his head down to one side of me, his licked a circle around my right nipple as his finger mirrored the action on my other breast. His mouth finally descended fully onto my peak, sucking it firmly into his mouth. I let out a long moan before he switched to perform the same torture on the left breast.

His hands were hot on my globes as I felt him push both mounds towards the center. He gave me a cocky look before he darted his tongue out to lick back and forth between my tips. The sensations sent shivers straight to my core and I bucked my hips up to try and create friction in the area.

He just chuckled before letting my breasts bounce back to their original positions. Each of his large hands massaged them before he finally began to move further down my body. As he climbed down my form, his tongue darted out to lick a path all the way to my naval. He circled the area with his tongue before his eyes lifted to meet mine.

I propped myself up on my elbows to watch his movements. He let out a signature laugh when he saw how interested I was in his actions. His white teeth glinted in the low light as he smiled and grabbed my panties between them. Slowly, he dragged the slip of material down my legs. I lifted my hips to help him finally rid myself of the protection I no longer wanted.

I felt the bed lift as he lowered himself onto the floor to crouch between my legs. His breath was hot against my ankle and I shivered as he gently lifted it with his hand. I felt his lips press a kiss to the inside before he started trailing wet kisses up the center of my leg.

As he got closer to my core, my arousal increased in anticipation. Finally, I could feel his tongue against my bikini line. I let myself fall back onto the bed as I waited for him to dive into me, but it didn't happen. I had to lift myself up again to see that he had moved back down and was about to place a kiss against my other ankle. I fell back onto the bed, as he performed the same, slow torture up my opposite leg.

But this time, as he neared my junction, his kisses became wetter and his tongue started to suck on section of my inner thigh, as if to show me what I was about to experience.

Just when I was about to open my mouth, his tongue made contact with my lower lips. I moaned my pleasure and felt my walls clench at the sensation. He flattened his tongue against me as he licked me slowly from top to bottom. When he reached the top, he circled my pleasure nub a few times. I brought my hands up to cover my face as I bit my lower lip. I could barely handle the pleasure without the release.

His tongue tasted every inch of me before he finally concentrated on my clitoris. His tongue drew circles around the nub while he slowly traced my entrance with his index finger. My hips started bucking, trying to increase the bit of contact he was giving me.

Finally, his finger slid into me and I let out a wanton moan. "Oh, Gajeel," his name was a prayer on my lips. His finger felt deep inside me before it returned to that spongy spot towards the front. His head lifted off my clitoris and his thumb replaced his tongue. I felt the bed depress as he sat next to me.

His fingers worked me to a state of near euphoria. I was so close to my release. I could feel my walls clenching around his finger and it felt like my entire diaphragm was lifting so that my breathing became shallow.

I threw my head back as I felt my walls tighten, signaling my impending release. "Gajeel, I'm gonna cum!" I all but yelled.

I felt his lips descend onto mine. I could taste myself on him and it only served to heighten my release. My walls fully contracted around his finger and my body lifted slightly off the bed as all my muscles clenched. Waves of heat finally crashed through me as my entire body pulsed its release. With each contraction, my muscles relaxed a bit more until I had finally fully descended back to my original state.

My muscles felt like jelly and a hazy smile danced across my lips. I grabbed the back of Gajeel's head and held him close to me as my tongue darted out. I licked his lips, allowing myself to fully taste my own arousal. "I love tasting myself on you," I accidentally said the thought out loud.

"Fuck, that's hot," was his response.

"I'm so ready for you, Gajeel," I managed to say between deep breaths. I lifted my hands and tugged playfully at the waistband of his boxer briefs. I let my hand fall to caress his solid rod through the material. He let his head fall back at my movements and let out a low growl.

I moved myself so that I was sitting on the bed in front of him. I was done waiting, I wanted this man and I wanted him now. I started tugging more forcefully at his boxers before they finally moved down his legs. His member sprang free and he lifted his head to look at me intently. I pushed him gently on the chest so that he would fall back against the pillows on the headboard before I finally pulled the offending material off his body.

He spread his legs wide and I laid myself on my stomach in front of him, propping myself up on my elbows. I reached out to grab his member and he gasped. I giggled at his reaction as I pumped him a few times. But I wasn't in the teasing mood. I quickly brought my tongue forward and licked the underside of him from base to tip. He growled at my movements and I only got the opportunity to suck his rod a bit before I found myself being lifted and pushed into the bed.

His large frame was over me and I knew that it was finally going to happen. I lifted my knees so that he was between them. He looked down at me before lovingly reaching out to caress me from shoulders to waist.

"Fuck, Levy. I love you so much, you know that right?"

I nodded my head before whispering, "I know, Gajeel." He pumped his member a few times before he guided it towards my entrance. He let the tip gather moisture from my arousal as he rubbed it up and down my slit. I reached down to spread my lower lips for him and he finally pushed himself into me.

A gasp left my lips at the sudden intrusion. He hadn't been rough but he hadn't been slow either. With one fluid movement, he seated himself inside me all the way to the hilt. His body came down on top of mine and he let out a low moan. "Oh my god, Levy you feel so good."

My walls clenched around his solid member as he began to rock himself against me. With each thrust, he drew a moan from my lips. The feeling of him moving inside of my already sensitive channel was like nothing I had ever experienced before.

My back arched to push my chest up into his further. I felt him move above me so that his knees were on either side of my hips. His large hands closed around my forearms as he pushed my arms into the bed. His head lifted from the crook of my neck and I wrapped my legs around his waist as he plunged into me from a different angle.

I could feel the sweat against his skin beginning to form and we were both moaning each other's names. With each rock of his hips, his sac collided with my vulva, increasing the pleasurable sensations I was feeling.

I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore. My entire body felt heated as he moved against me. With each new thrust, that familiar tingling sensation spread through my body.

His lifted his form off me further and reached around his back to release my legs. Grabbing me beneath my thighs, he pulled me closer to him as he sat up with his knees beneath him. Still connected he let his hands travel up my hips before grabbing me at the bottom of my waist. He pushed me down onto his tool forcefully and I screamed.

Hot waves of pleasure were shooting through my body with each thrust. It wasn't the same sensations as an orgasm but it had a similar feel and I was loving it. He smirked down at me as I threw my head back. My hands lifted to try and grab onto something but all they managed to grab was the pillows. I squeezed the material tight as he continued to ram his member deep into my body.

My breasts bounced wildly and I could hear his heavy breathing from above me. "Your body feels amazing, Levy!" he exclaimed as one of his hands moved down to cup my ass.

All I could do was moan his name in response. After a few more thrusts, he moved his frame back over mine as his pace began to quicken. He let his head fall back into the crook of my neck and I could tell he was nearing his release. He placed a kiss against my neck before he spoke, "I love you and you're mine now." His voice was a low growl.

"Yours," I moaned back at him. I felt him reach down to pull his member out before he finally spilled his hot seed onto my body. I groaned at the feeling of his essence on me. I opened my eyes to see his sweat soaked brow and him still holding onto his softening member.

"Come here," I husked at him. He smirked at me as he brought his member up to my mouth. I opened my lips and sucked him clean of our lewd activities before falling back onto the bed.

I felt the bed lift as he exited the bedroom quickly, only to return with a hot washcloth so he could clean me off. I moaned again as he swiped the material over my body, paying a little too much attention to certain areas.

When I was clean, he balled the cloth up and threw it into the bathroom without leaving the bed. He threw the covers back and climbed into bed, pulling me in close to him before covering us up. For several minutes he just held me, neither of us saying a word, as we tried to catch our breath.

I felt him squeeze me tighter against his hulking frame before he finally spoke. "You okay?" his voice seemed worried.

I hummed my satisfaction before I turned myself in his arms to face him. "More than okay. I feel amazing," I sighed.

He smiled and let out a breath before he asked, "Did I hurt you?"

"What?" I looked up in his eyes to see concern reflected in their red depths. "Gajeel, no. Everything felt so good."

He seemed to relax a little at my words. "Good. I just, you know," he hesitated. "I can be a rougher person and I wanted to make sure your first time was special."

I lifted my hand up to caress his cheek. "You don't have to worry about scaring me off. I'm yours now, remember?" I smiled at him before I continued. "And how could my first time not have been special? It was with you." I nuzzled into his chest. "Besides, you're body is literally a walking sex machine," I giggled.

Gajeel seemed to return to his normal, playful self. "Oh, I see. You just love me for my body, is that it?" he teased. His fingers lifted to tickle me under my chin.

I giggled at the contact before batting his hands away. When I had calmed down from my laughter, I looked back at him with sincerity, "I'm not going to say I haven't noticed your gorgeous form, cause I'd be lying," I winked at him. "But you know I love the person that you are, right?"

He pulled me into his chest tightly and nuzzled my locks. "I'm so lucky to have found you," he sighed.

"I love you, Gajeel," I said against his chest. I felt him squeeze me tighter before finally releasing me. I pushed against his muscles so we could lock eyes. "Hey Gajeel?" I asked.

He hummed his acknowledgement.

"When can we do this again?" I asked eagerly.

His signature laugh bounded around us. "Oh, Blue. I am never letting you leave this bed."


	21. A Dangerous Game

Anime/Manga » Fairy Tail » **Fairy Penalty Game**  
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|  Author: Musicera |  1\. Chapter 1 2\. Chapter 2 3\. Chapter 3 4\. Chapter 4 5\. Chapter 5 6\. Chapter 6 7\. Chapter 7 8\. Chapter 8 9\. Chapter 9 10\. Chapter 10 11\. Chapter 11 12\. Chapter 12 13\. Chapter 13 14\. Chapter 14 15\. Chapter 15 16\. Chapter 16 17\. Chapter 17 18\. Chapter 18 19\. Chapter 19 20\. Chapter 20 21\. Chapter 21 22\. Chapter 22 23\. Chapter 23 24\. Chapter 24 25\. Chapter 25 26\. Chapter 26 27\. Chapter 27 28\. Chapter 28 29\. Chapter 29 30\. Chapter 30 31\. Chapter 31 32\. Chapter 32 33\. Chapter 33 34\. Chapter 34 35\. Chapter 35 36\. Chapter 36 37\. Chapter 37   
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| Rated: M - English - Romance/Humor - Reviews: 392 - Published: 12-14-16 - Updated: 12-23-17 | id:12274150  
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I widened my eyes in faux shock. "Never?"

Gajeel just smirked at me and played along. "Never." He grabbed me tight around my waist.

I laughed as he pulled me into him. "But how will we eat?"

"Delivery," he responded flatly.

"How will we shower?" I giggled.

"Meh," he shrugged his shoulders.

I turned myself around so I could face him. "Gajeel!" I smacked his chest playfully. "That's gross!"

His only response was to nip at my ear. I laughed as he pulled me over so that I was lying on top of his sprawled out form. I sighed as I let my chin rest on his broad chest. "So what do you want to do now?"

Gajeel raised his eyebrow up at me suggestively. Just before he was about to speak, his stomach betrayed him with a loud growl.

"I suppose we should eat something! I can finish making us some omelets if that's cool with you?" I said as I started to move to get out of the bed.

Gajeel quickly flipped us over so that I was caged against his large form. He growled from above me before saying, "I told you I'm not letting you leave this bed." He had a smile on that told me he was still in a playful mood.

As quick as I could I tried to roll away from him, but he sensed my movements before I got the chance. He let his arms fall and his full weight came down on top of me. "Gajeel!" I huffed. "Can't breathe!"

"Good," he responded flatly. "This way you can't leave the bed."

His stomach growled again. He sighed before he finally rolled off me. Once I caught my breath I laughed and snuggled into his side.

"Alright fine. Leave me if you must!" he said dramatically, as he pulled the covers off of both of us.

I put my feet over the side of the bed and stood shakily. I felt Gajeel get up behind me and felt his arms wrap around me from behind. His head came down to the crook of my neck and he breathed in my scent. "God, I love seeing you dressed like this."

I scoffed before saying, "Dressed like what? I'm completely naked, Gajeel!"

He growled against my neck. "Exactly."

I pulled away from him with a smile. "Come on," I said as I threw on his t-shirt that was lying on the floor in front of me. "Let's get something to eat, then we can get back in bed."

"Promise?" he quirked his eyebrow up at me.

I gave him a small smile before turning around to say, "I promise."

. . .

The two of us ate our food in comfortable silence. Just as Gajeel finished up his plate, I heard a buzzing from the other room. "What's that?" I asked, cocking my head to the side.

Gajeel grumbled as he got up from the table. "Lacrima-phone," he explained. He walked into the bedroom to grab it from his pants pocket. I heard his muffled speech through the wall. "Yeah…I'm at Levy's…We're both fine…Job?...When?...That soon?" He sighed. "Meet at home…Leave tomorrow morning."

He came back into the kitchen where I was putting the plates in the sink. I turned around to look at him and he looked a little crestfallen. "Everything okay?" I inquired.

He rubbed the back of his neck before responding. "Yeah, it was Lily. We've got to leave for a job tomorrow morning."

I can't say I wasn't a little disappointed. "Are you sure you're up for it? You were injured pretty bad."

He shook his head. "Wendy fixed me up good. I wouldn't go 'cept we agreed to the job a while back. Not following through would be pretty inconsiderate."

I sauntered over to where Gajeel was standing and wrapped my arms around his waist. "Well look at you, Mr. Caring all the sudden."

He chuckled and leaned down to give me a light kiss on my lips. "When it's the right person, I can be very caring. I thought I showed you that last night."

I pulled his head back down so I could kiss him again. I let my tongue swipe against his lower lip and he granted me entrance. I swirled my tongue against his before breaking the kiss to say, "You sure did." I hesitated for a moment. "So I guess we're not getting back in bed then, huh?"

He leaned down and nibbled my lower lip lightly before pulling back to say, "Lily's at the guild now and won't be coming home until this evening. I've got to go home and pack but, I'd love it if you came with."

I looked up at him with wide eyes. "Are you sure I won't be getting in the way?"

"Are you kidding, Blue? Nevermind. It's not a question anymore. You're coming with me." And with that, he dragged me into the bedroom so we could both throw on some clothes.

. . .

"So what's this job of yours anyways?" I asked as we walked at a moderate pace to Gajeel's apartment.

"Something's eating all the crops of a farming village not far from town. "'Parently someone said they thought it was a monster or somethin'. Anyways, we're gonna go check it out. See what we can do," he explained.

I smiled up at him. "Okay, well be safe and all." I gave him a saucy wink. "Can't have you out of commission now, can I?"

He let out his signature laugh as he looked down at me. "I dunno, Blue. If I just give it away whenever you want, you'll lose all respect for me."

I huffed and crossed my arms. "Gajeel! That's not even funny."

He smirked as he continued to walk. "Yes it is." Gajeel held the door of his building open for me and I walked through while giving him a pouty look.

He just chuckled and walked up the stairs behind me. I gasped as his hand collided with my rear as I reached the top steps. "Gajeel!" I chided.

"Not my fault. It was right in front of my face. Ignoring it would have been rude," he teased.

"Oh I am so getting you back!" I played along.

He held the door to his apartment open for me. "That's a dangerous game, Blue. You sure you wanna play?"

I nearly ran through the door, holding my hands against my bottom incase he tried to smack me again. He let out a booming laugh as he let the door close behind him. I plopped myself down on the couch as he locked the door behind him. I took my red shoes off before I threw him a saucy smile, saying, "I always want to play."

He strode over to me kicking his boots off and looking just as sexy as ever. He unbuttoned his jacket and let it fall to the floor. He was so mouthwatering in just his tight fitting t-shirt and khaki pants. "You sure about that?"

As quick as I could, I leapt up from the sofa and ran to the end of it. He smiled and crouched down, ready to chase me. "You'll have to catch me first!" I yelled as I ran towards his bedroom, shutting the door behind me as best as I could. I looked around the dark room, trying to find a place to hide.

His closet door was partially open and I slipped inside as quietly as I could, hiding behind the rows of clothing. I tried to suppress my giggle and quiet my breathing as I heard him enter the room. I could hear him breathe in loudly, trying to sniff out my scent.

"Oh, Blue?" he called out. "Where did you go?" his voice was quiet and almost made me shiver.

I heard him look under the bed before he walked slowly into the bathroom, turning on the light. _"This is my chance!"_ I thought. I jumped out from behind the clothes and tried to run out of the room, but I didn't get far. I knew he was going to catch me eventually—it wasn't a very big apartment, but I was having fun letting him chase me.

Strong hands wrapped around my waist and my momentum changed directions as I was picked up into the air. I felt myself being carried to the bed, where I was deposited. Gajeel quickly climbed on top of me before he leaned down and whispered in my ear, "Gotcha."

I gasped as his tongue swiped the shell of my ear before responding, "Maybe I wanted to be caught after all."

That was all the invitation Gajeel needed. Within seconds, his lips were on mine in a passionate kiss. His tongue pushed into my mouth and I opened it to allow him to deepen the kiss. His lips moved against mine as our tongues swirled around each other's. I moaned into his mouth as he lowered himself further onto me, grinding his core against mine. I could feel that my lips were swollen from our intense kissing session.

His hand rose up my leg, his fingers hot on my skin before he reached under my orange dress. In one quick movement, he pulled my panties down and off my body. I gasped as his hand returned and without warning, invaded my most sacred space. Two of his fingers speared into me and started pumping me vigorously. I could feel the tingling sensation pulling through my core as my arousal increased with each thrust of his fingers.

He lifted himself so that he was resting on his knees above me, still keeping the intense pace in my lower region. His other hand came up and he forcefully tugged my dress down to expose my breasts. My nipples puckered against the cold air and he looked at me with a gleam in his eyes.

His mouth descended onto one of my peaks and I moaned his name. His thumb came up to rub against my clit and my walls began to flutter around his fingers. "Gajeel!" I said between gasps.

His mouth switched so that he was sucking deeply on my other peak. I could feel him circle his tongue around my nipple and the sensation was amazing. I reached down to unbutton his pants. I pulled them down so that they exposed his boxer briefs and I began to rub his manhood through the cloth.

He hummed against my breast, which only increased my pleasure. "I'm gonna come." I managed to say.

His mouth left my breast with a gasp as he gulled down air. "Shit, Levy." His hand slowed its movements inside of me before he finally pulled it back. I replaced his hand with my own, rubbing my clit to continue my pleasure as I watched him lower his briefs enough to finally expose his erect tool. He reached over to open the drawer of the nightstand beside the bed. Reaching in, he retrieved a small foil packet before he ripped it open and rolled the contents down over himself.

"Ready?" he inquired as he held his rod in his hand.

I let my head fall back against the bed before I spread my lips for him to enter. "Oh god, yes!" I said. I was so near to my release that I could feel my muscles starting to tense and twitch.

Gajeel plunged his thick staff into me and I moaned at the intrusion. He didn't give me anytime to adjust before he started rocking himself into me hard. My breasts bounced and with each thrust, he drew a high-pitched gasp from my lips.

His mouth came down over mine, swallowing my sounds of pleasure. His kiss was fierce and I was loosing myself to the sensations around me. All I could hear was the sheets rustle against me in time with each of his thrusts. What pushed me over the edge was when his hand came up to pinch one of my peaks hard. My walls fluttered before I finally felt heat radiate through my body. My entire body arched off the bed as my muscles all clenched tight.

Gajeel's movements slowed slightly as my walls clamped down hard on his member. "Oh, fuck! Levy! God, that feels amazing!" he nearly yelled, breaking our kiss. I couldn't be bothered with responding at that moment though. My walls started pulsing. Gajeel's speed increased, timing each thrust with each contraction.

Heat pulsed through my body and my eyes closed as the waves of pleasure washed over me. As I came down from my high, Gajeel continued to increase his pace. His thrusting became erratic before he took hold of my hips and pushed himself into me fully.

He let out a near growl as I felt his member pulse against my sensitive walls. This was the first time I had ever felt Gajeel climax inside of me and it was amazing. He was hot against my skin as his rod moved inside me. Each pulse of his had me gasping and grabbing at the blankets. I loved every second of it.

He finally collapsed against me and breathed heavily, trying not to crush me under his weight. When he finally caught his breath he gave me a passionate kiss as he slowly withdrew from my depths. I gasped when my muscles finally released him and he pulled the sullied piece of rubber off of him, throwing it into the trashcan on the other side of the nightstand.

He kicked off his boxers and pants, which had still been hanging around his knees during our romp. I squirmed my way over to him, crushing my bare chest against his side as he wrapped his muscled arm around me.

I sighed into his t-shirt, "So good," I moaned.

He chuckled before he kissed the top of my head. "Told you playin' this game was dangerous."

"Danger feels amazing," was all I could manage to say through my pleasure haze.

He smirked above me. "So glad you think so."

Completely spent, we laid in each other's arms, letting our breathing even out for some time. Finally we heard the door lock click in the other room.

"Gajeel," Lily's deep voice bounded throughout the apartment, breaking us out of our reverie. "Are you home yet?"

"Shit!" we both said at once, jumping up and frantically trying to right our clothing.

"Yeah," he yelled from the bedroom. "Give us a minute and we'll be out."

As I began retying the bow to my dress that had come undone, I heard Panther Lily respond with a confused, "Us?"

END CHAPTER 21

 

 


	22. Bath Time

Once I was properly dressed, I followed Gajeel sheepishly into the main room. He was throwing his t-shirt over his head as he spoke up, "You're home earlier than I expected."

Lily was in his battle form and was putting some very heavy looking grocery bags up onto the kitchen counter. Once they were situated, he poofed back into his smaller form. "My apologies if I startled you," Lily responded matter-of-fact. "Well, hello there Levy," he said, turning his attention to me.

I peeked myself out from behind Gajeel, somewhat embarrassed at the whole situation. "Hello, Lily."

"Gajeel." Lily turned towards the man with a stern face. I took a short breath in, fearful that he was going to say something disapproving about us. "Have you offered Levy a beverage? I hope you were being a polite host."

I let out the breath I was holding. Gajeel rubbed the back of his neck before responding, "Uh, I got somewhat," he paused and turned his head. I could see on his face that he was trying not to laugh. "Distracted."

"I see." Lily turned his attention to me. "Levy, would you care to join me for some tea?" The black exceed jumped up onto the counter and carried the teapot over to the sink to fill it.

I smiled and stepped out more into the room. "I'd love to," I responded cheerily. I sat down at the little kitchenette and Gajeel took the seat next to me. I smiled at him as he sat down and he gave me a wink in return. Having successfully put the kettle on the stove to boil, Lily joined us, sitting on the far side of the kitchen table.

"So, Levy," Lily directed his words towards me. I turned my head to smile at him. "What brings you to this side of town?"

His question caught me off guard. I wasn't sure how much Gajeel wanted to reveal to everyone about our budding relationship and I didn't want to mess things up or betray his trust if he wanted to keep things between us for now.

I hesitated, but before I had the chance to speak, Gajeel interjected. "She's here for me," he said flatly.

"Oh?" Lily raised his eyebrow. "Does this mean—?"

Gajeel interrupted him. "You know what it means." He stared at the little cat flatly. Lily cleared his throat. "I am very happy for the two of you." He turned his head towards me. "And Levy."

I cocked my head to the side and gave him a small smile. "If this brute ever misbehaves, please let me know about it."

Gajeel rolled his eyes and I laughed before nodding my agreement. A whistle sounded from on the stove. "Oh! That'll be the water!" Lily exclaimed, bounding over to the kitchen to make the tea.

. . .

"Are you sure you don't want to stay here for dinner?" Gajeel inquired as Lily prepared to leave the apartment.

"I find the Guild quite entertaining in the evenings," the little exceed responded. "I will return in a few hours. We'll plan to leave at 7 tomorrow morning, yes?"

Gajeel grunted his agreement before the Exceed turned to leave. "Goodbye Levy," he called out as he walked through the door.

"Bye bye!" I responded before the door closed behind him.

Gajeel visibly deflated before turning around to face me. He strode over to me and squeezed me in a tight embrace. "I'm glad you're here," he said into the top of my head.

I burrowed myself into his chest, letting him squeeze me tighter. "Me too." He held me for a few long seconds before he pulled away a bit.

I looked up at him with wide eyes. "Can we take a bath?" I gave him my best puppy dog eyes.

He chuckled down at me. "Go start the water," he replied.

A smile stretched across my face. I reached both my hands up and grasped him behind the neck to pull his head down to my level. I kissed him passionately before breaking away to run into the bathroom. I heard him laugh to himself as he followed behind me into the bedroom.

Since Lily had caught us post-act, we hadn't had a chance to clean off. Ever since I'd seen Gajeel's large tub, I wanted to test it out. There's nothing like a good soaking to help relax.

I reached up and tied my hair in a messy bun on top of my head before I stood up to start undressing. I untied the top ribbon holding my dress in place and let it fall off me and to the floor. I heard a growl from the other side of the room. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Gajeel watching my actions intently. I pretended not to notice, removing my sleeves before finally stepping out of my panties, a little slower than usual.

I kneeled down beside the tub to finally turn the water on, but a presence behind me forced me to stop what I was doing. I turned around as Gajeel's hulking body cast a shadow over my petite one. He was standing in front of me, completely naked and his eyes had an intense look to them.

I turned around slightly and cast my eyes upward. "Want something?" I half smiled at him.

"More like need," he husked. Before I knew it, he was crouched down at my level and his lips came crashing down onto mine. His movements were fierce and I could barely keep up with his pace. Before I knew it, he was sucking hickies into my neck and forcefully palming my backside.

I let my hands rise up to feel his bulging biceps. His muscled flexed as he explored every inch of my body. His hands came up to my breasts and he roughly tweaked my nipples before he flattened his palms to rub my mounds.

The other times with Gajeel had been slower, more passionate. This encounter felt like some sort of fire, raging out of control. I quickly found myself being turned over, so that I was bending over the tub, still on my knees. My chest rested against the lip of the basin and I arched my back so that my rear end rose into the air.

I shivered as Gajeel's hands travelled over my backside. His fingers roamed the flesh before he let his hand fall between my cheeks. Without any warning, he speared two fingers into me and started pumping at an intense pace. I screamed out his name as I felt my body respond by sending its natural lubricant to the area.

As quick as it started, it ended. His fingers left me and I gulped down air, trying to regain my breathing. I glanced a look behind me and saw Gajeel pumping his erect manhood a few times. His hand came down onto my rear in a rough smack and I gasped at the sensation. "Gajeel!" I exclaimed.

I heard him smirk from behind me before he smacked my ass again. Before I had time to respond, he thrust his erection deep into my core. My body responded on its own; arching my back so that my head lifted. I stayed in that position, holding onto the edge of the tub for dear life as Gajeel plowed into me from behind.

I squeezed my walls around him, trying to increase the friction around him. I must have done something right because he growled in response. I felt him lift his leg up so that one foot was on the ground with his other knee remaining down. In an unexpected move, his hand lifted up and he grabbed the messy bun on top of my head. Pulling on it forcefully, he used it to thrust himself into me harder.

His other hand came down to smack my backside again as I gasped. I was surprised at how much I was enjoying the stinging sensations and his fast pace. With each thrust, my hips collided with the side of the tub. My knees felt weak as he continued to barrel into me.

His hand left my hair before it wound its way around my throat. He splayed his fingers wide on my collarbone, just below my throat. The pressure of him trying to pull me back squeezed my throat the tiniest bit and I was shocked to find how much I enjoyed it.

His other hand gave my backside one final squeeze before he trailed it along my body to palm my breast. I became completely lost in the rhythm of the man behind me. I reciprocated each thrust with a gasp of my own.

The noises of our coupling increased as his movement became wilder. He returned his hands to my hips as he thrust into me even harder than before. If it hadn't been for how caught up I was, I would certainly have paid more attention to the odd sensation the tip of his manhood caused as it brushed the bottom of my womb.

"Levy." My name was a moan on his lips. He leaned his frame over mine so that our bodies were flush together as he continued to pump into me wildly.

"Gajeel," I responded with a groan. His one hand stayed on my hips while his other came around the side to squeeze one of my globes before he tweaked my nipple again.

I could feel his hot breath against my ear before I felt his teeth nip at the lobe. I shivered at the sensations before he raised himself up one more time. Without warning, he pulled out of me and I felt his hot release against my backside.

I no longer had any energy to move. I just laid there, draped over the edge of the tub, completely spent. Gajeel was in a similar state, as he allowed himself to fall to the floor. He sat himself against the tub, using the side as a support for his back. "This is really your fault, you know," he sighed.

That gave me a little bit of energy. I forced myself to roll so that I could give him a sideways glance. "And what's that supposed to mean, Black Steel?" I chided.

He flashed me that sexy smile of his. "You strip teased right in front of me. What did you expect was gonna' happen?"

I giggled and let myself fall back against the side of the tub. "I wasn't trying to tease you. I was just trying to get naked."

He laughed. "I don't see the difference."

I smiled and reached my hand out to turn the water on for the tub. I let my fingers trail in the hot liquid as the basin filled in front of me. When the tub had finally filled, I shut off the water and climbed in. Gajeel pushed himself up off the floor and walked over to the cabinet to get us some clean washcloths.

He strode back over to the tub where I was resting. "Oi, sit up a little, wouldchya?" he said, slipping his feet in behind me. I scooched myself forward as best as I could, given my low energy level, before Gajeel lowered himself into the warm water behind me.

He let the washcloths fall into the water with us before he pushed me forward and began scrubbing me clean. I hummed my appreciation. Letting out a contented sigh, I gathered the energy to speak. "So, that was a little rougher than usual."

Gajeel's movements behind me slowed. "Oh yeah?" he responded uncertainly.

He finished cleaning my back and I let myself fall into his form. His legs were spread on either side of me and I loved the feeling of his hard muscles beneath me. I trailed my fingers along his toned thighs before nodding my head. "I kinda' liked it though," I admitted.

His arm snaked its way around my waist and he squeezed me against his body. "Kinda?" He was pressing for straighter answers.

I giggled. "Fine. I _really_ liked it," I admitted.

His hands began to caress my entire body as his lips came down onto the back of my neck. "Tell me what you liked," he whispered against the nape of my neck before pressing hot kisses into the skin.

I moaned my appreciation before trying to respond to his question. "Well," I began. His lips moved down to my shoulder, where he nipped playfully at the skin there. "I liked how you just took me."

"Oh yeah? How come?" Both his hands moved to caress the inside of my thighs. I could feel my pleasure building again and I shivered despite the warm water that surrounded us.

"I felt so dominated. Like I was all yours. It was hot," I managed to breathe out. The fingers of his right hand began to tickle my outer lips while his left hand continued to draw patterns on the inside of my left thigh.

"Keep going," he husked against my ear before he licked the shell.

I let out a shaky breath as his fingers started to circle around my clit. Warmth was pooling in my core as my walls began to clench in anticipation.

"I loved the feeling of your cock thrusting deep in me." At my words, his other hand left its work on my thigh to spear two fingers into my vagina. My gasp turned into a pleasured moan as he started pressing his digits against that spongy spot. I could feel the tingling sensations move through my body. I hadn't fully recovered from our previous acts so I was still riled up enough to be close to finishing.

His other finger continued its small circles around my pleasure nub, increasing its pace. "So you like how I fuck you?" he whispered into my ear before kissing the side of my neck.

"Yeah," I breathed out between moans. My walls were tightening around his fingers. I brought my hands up to touch my overly sensitive nipples. "I love it when you touch yourself," he breathed against me.

"Fuck, Gajeel," I moaned. "So close." I could feel my inner walls tensing with each circle he made. His lips came down onto the nape of my neck and he sucked roughly at the skin, licking circles against the spot with his tongue.

All of the muscles in my body began to tighten and I felt as if I was beginning to float. Gajeel's lips left my neck and were against my ear again. "I order you to come for me," he said menacingly. His voice was so fierce and dominating. I couldn't help it, my body responded as I reached my climax.

My entire body clenched as hot waves of pleasure spread throughout my entire form before my walls finally began to pulse their release. With each contraction, Gajeel matched the speed of his fingers inside me, thrusting into me, extending my orgasm as long as he could. I grasped at his hard form beneath me, trying to feel as much of his body against mine as I could.

As my muscles relaxed and I descended back down from my high, he finally withdrew his fingers. He held them up to my mouth where I snickered before licking them clean. "Fuck, you're such a dirty girl, Levy."

I giggled as I let myself snuggle into his frame, loving the relaxed feeling from my climax and the warm water around me. "This is really your fault, you know?"

"I know," he said before letting out his signature laugh.


	23. Knowledge

. . .

As my muscles relaxed and I descended back down from my high, he finally withdrew his fingers. He held them up to my mouth where I snickered before licking them clean. "Fuck, you're such a dirty girl, Levy."

I giggled as I let myself snuggle into his frame, loving the relaxed feeling from my climax and the warm water around me. "This is really your fault, you know?"

"I know," he said before letting out his signature laugh.

. . .

When Lily returned from the Guild that evening, he found us both half asleep on the couch as the TV blared in front of us.

"Gajeel," he said, shaking the larger man's arm. Gajeel grunted and cracked his eye open to peer at the little Exceed. Lily didn't say anything but just padded into the bedroom to lie down in his bed near the window after a long day.

I didn't want to move from my warm spot next to Gajeel's arms. As he shifted to get up, I made an indignant huff. He just chuckled down at me before lifting me in his arms and walking me into the bedroom to place me gently on the bed. As quickly as I could, I snuggled under the covers to get warm again. By the time Gajeel walked around to the other side and I felt the bed depress from his weight, I was almost completely asleep.

The last thing I felt before I finally drifted off was him pull me close against his frame as he sighed deeply.

. . .

A gentle kiss on my forehead roused me from my sleep. I opened my eyes and instantly regretted it as the light from the morning scorched my vision. I let my arm fall over my eyes as I tried to look up at Gajeel. He was standing beside me, completely dressed and ready for his mission.

"Lily and I are heading out," he said softly. "Feel free to stay as long as you want. I'm leaving you a key on the kitchen table."

I smiled up at him as my eyes finally adjusted to the intrusion. "How long are you gonna be gone for?"

He rubbed the back of his neck before he looked at me wistfully. "Don't know. Hopefully not too long, though."

I nodded in understanding before I sat up in bed. I reached up and grabbed the front of his shirt. Pulling gently, he followed my movement until he was within my reach. I reached my hands to behind his neck and pulled him into a long kiss. We both parted with less breath than we started. "Don't stay away for too long. You know I get so lonely," I teased him with a smirk.

Gajeel's lips came close and pressed gentle caresses into my neck before he nipped at my earlobe. "Wait for me, okay?"

I nodded at him with a grin before he placed one more kiss on my lips and we said our last goodbyes. I drifted off to sleep for another hour or so before I finally got myself up and out of bed. I tried my best not to snoop around Gajeel's apartment. _"Not that there's much snooping to do. It barely looks like anyone lives here anyways,"_ I realized. His place was pretty barren, but that kind of fit with Gajeel's personality.

My stomach grumbled and I realized that I was in need of a proper breakfast. I swooped the little key from the kitchen table, putting it in a special zipper pocket in my purse before leaving Gajeel's place.

On my way back to my apartment, I took out my lacrima-phone to call Lucy. I hadn't spoken with her for a few days now and I knew she would be pissed if I let it go any longer.

"Levy? Is that you?" her voice was bright on the line.

"Yeah, sorry it's been so long. You free to stop over at my place? I'm headed there now." I responded.

"Wait. Why are you not already there, missy?" she inquired.

I sighed as I realized my slip up. "I'll explain when I see you. Can you come over?"

"Be there in fifteen minutes!" she responded before hanging up the call.

I hadn't seen Lucy since the whole kidnapping incident and I was happy that we would be getting some girl time. I stopped by a local coffee shop to grab myself some breakfast, eating it as I walked the last distance to my apartment.

. . .

"Levy!" the blond almost yelled as she embraced me. I squeezed her back tightly before she bounced onto the couch. I put some water on the stove to make us some tea before I joined her on the sofa.

"Are you feeling better? You had us all really worried for a while!"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I assured her. "I was more worried about Gajeel. I just had a broken bone that Wendy was able to fix, but Gajeel had his magic power drained in a really horrible way."

I could see the worried look on Lucy's face. "Is he okay now?"

"Oh yeah," I assured her. "He's fine. He left with Panther Lily this morning for a job."

"What?!" Lucy yelled, startling me. "He shouldn't be out working so soon!"

I just shrugged in response. I knew by now that no one was gonna tell Gajeel what he could or could not do.

"So…" Lucy gave me a knowing look. "Where've ya' been these last few days?" She knew the answer, she just wanted me to admit it.

"Well, we crashed here for a night before we headed over to his place yesterday," I said in a measured tone.

Lucy threw her hands up in the hair in a huff. "Oh come on, Levy! You know I want details!"

I just laughed in response. "Alright, fine! It happened, we did it!" I admitted to her. Before Lucy had a chance to respond, the whistle on the teapot started sounding and I jumped up to pour us some tea.

Lucy called after me and I just snickered from my spot in the kitchen before returning to the couch with our hot drinks in hand.

I was fully expecting Lucy to be pushy about the details but she took a sip of her tea before putting her cup down to look at me intently. "I'm really happy for you two, Levy."

I gave her a small smile before responding, "Thanks, Lu. That means a lot."

We smiled back and forth at one another before a loud rapping on the door made both of us jump. I hustled over to the front door to peer through the peephole. Cana was standing outside, drinking from a half empty wine bottle with another one under her arm.

I sighed and turned to Lucy. "It's Cana," I said before opening the door. The busty brunette burst through as soon as I gave her the space. "Jeez, don't say it like _that_ ," she slurred. "I'll start thinkin' you don' wanna see me!" she said with a laugh.

I just chuckled before saying, "You know that could never happen." I closed the door and returned to the sitting area. Cana had plopped herself down on the couch uncomfortably close to Lucy and I pulled a chair into the space from the kitchen table.

"So!" Cana said loudly. "You finally did the nasty! Got busy! Bumped ugly! Did the horizontal boogie! Took care of Adam—"

"Okay, Cana!" Lucy said, putting her hand over Cana's mouth to keep her quiet. "I think that's quiet enough—Oh my god, did you just lick me?" Lucy wiped her hand on her pant leg as Cana snickered.

"How did you know?" I directed the question at the still laughing brunette.

"Oh sweetie. I can see it all over your face. That longing look 'cause your man's not here. You've got it bad." She took a long drag from her bottle. She held it up to Lucy in an offer but the blond pushed it back to her.

I sighed before responding. "I guess you're right."

Cana turned to Lucy and gave her a knowing look before saying, "Oh, she wants the D."

Lucy blushed profusely. "Cana!" she exclaimed.

"Speaking of the D," Cana continued with her eyes intent on the blond. "How're you and Natsu?"

"Yeah?!" I chimed in. "I'd been meaning to ask you about that, Lu! You seemed—different—the last time I saw you with him."

Lucy's blush deepened as her mouth worked a bit before she was finally able to speak. "Well, we kind of kissed."

Cana and I both leaned forward. "Define kissing," the brunette encouraged.

Lucy sighed and threw her hands up. "We made out, happy now?"

"You give me the details and I'll be even happier," Cana slurred and waggled her eyebrows. Lucy just laughed her off before giving me that knowing look.

"Oh! That reminds me," I said as I jumped up and headed into my bedroom. I grabbed the infamous blowjob book off my nightstand and carried it back out to the main room. "I guess you'll be needing this," I said, handing the book over the Lucy.

Cana let out a loud laugh as Lucy blushed, still taking the book. I watched her as she bashfully stowed it behind her back before I sat back down in my seat.

Cana turned her attention back towards me. "Well, little miss. You've got to tell us what we've all been dying to know."

I sighed. "And what would that be, Cana?"

Cana leaned forward and said quietly. "Is his dick pierced?"

I gave Cana a "really?" look before responding. "No. It's not. But it is amazing…" I trailed off. I hadn't meant to say that last part out loud and I quickly raised my hands up to clap them over my mouth.

Cana gave me a knowing look before she sat up straight on the couch. "Not to sound like your mother, but if you guys are doin' the nasty as frequently as I know you are, you really should go see Porlyusica. It'll be horrible but the information she gives you is something that you'll need." Cana turned her eyes on Lucy with a mischievous grin. "Maybe you and Lucy should go together."

Lucy and I collectively sighed and agreed that we would try and go within the next few days. "What about you, Cana? Any new love interest in your life?" I inquired.

Cana gave me a smirk before throwing her arms back wide on the couch cushions. "Nah. I'm takin' a little break for now. Working on building strength in my lower muscles and all."

Lucy was the first to speak up. "I don't follow."

"Been doin' some vaginal weight lifting," Cana said, as if it was completely normal. "Wanna try and get stronger before I test the results and all."

I'd read a lot of books in my day, but vaginal weightlifting was not something I had come across. "Vaginal weightlifting?" I repeated. "How do you lift weights with your vagina?" I won't lie. I was pretty curious.

"Simple," the brunette responded. Specialty shops sell jade eggs. They've got a hole drilled in the top. You tie a string to it and tie it to a weight. Then pop that sucker up there and feel the burn!" Cana laughed.

I looked at Lucy with wide eyes and she returned my surprised stare. "Why would you do something like that?"

Cana gave us a smirk. "It's a muscle just like every other muscle. It needs to be worked out. I've heard it increases pleasure in ways you could never imagine."

"I'm up for trying it!" I surprised even myself by saying it.

Cana raised her wine bottle up to me in salute. "I'm liking the new you, Lev Lev!" I just blushed in response.

. . .

Another hour of miscellaneous talk had the two girls finally leaving my apartment. Lucy and I agreed that we would head to Porlyusica's the next day to have "the talk." Strength in numbers and all. I laughed to myself as Lucy tried to covertly place the book in her purse without Cana making a big deal out of it. I really did hope that things with her and Natsu worked out. She was certainly the only person I knew that could stand him for long periods of time. To me, that must be love.

I finally crawled into bed after cleaning up a bit and taking a shower. I leaned my head back against the pillow and instantly felt the need rising within me. Cana was right—Gajeel was my new drug and I was clearly addicted.

I let my hand travel down to rest between my legs before our exchange floated into my thoughts.

 _"Wait for me, okay?"_ his words reverberated in my thoughts.

 _"Crap, I told him that I would wait until he got back from his trip. This is really gonna suck,"_ I realized as I pulled my hand back up in a huff.

I went to sleep, praying that this job of his would be short.

. . .

The next morning I met Lucy at the guildhall. We grabbed some breakfast before heading off to the outskirts of town. Porlyusica lived way in the woods outside of Magnolia and we knew it was going to be quite the walk before we finally arrived. But I was happy for the time with my best friend.

"So, talk to me about you and Natsu. When did all this start happening?" I nudged Lucy with my elbow as we walked.

She looked up in thought before answering. "It was after the time we met you on the train. We went back to my place and, I dunno, things just kinda happened."

I gave her a look, clearly not satisfied with a "yada yada yada" answer.

"I'm trying to remember! Honest!" she proclaimed. "It all just seems like one big blur."

I laughed. "Was there alcohol involved?"

She shook her head. "No. It just feels so surreal to think back to our first kiss, you know? Or at least, try and understand why it happened. One minute we were playing cards and the next minute, he was kissing me. I don't know why, but I certainly wasn't complaining!"

I ducked under a branch as we continued our walk through the forest. "Do you think he overheard what you said on the train? Apparently Gajeel heard us talking while I thought he was asleep. I wonder if Natsu woke up at some point during the conversation too."

Lucy sighed. "It's possible."

"So, nothing more than kissing for now?"

Lucy blushed. "Well, we've gotten more—" she paused, looking for the right words. "Horizontal in our kissing sessions at the moment. But he hasn't really pushed me further than just touching over our clothes. I wonder if he's waiting for me to initiate, but I'm not sure what to do."

I chuckled. "Well, for starters, I would read that book. I was in much the same boat as you and it gave me a lot of confidence. But other than that, I would just tell you to do what feels right. I think you and Natsu are probably both pretty new to all this. I would say just take it slow and figure it out together."

Lucy gave me a warm smile. "Thanks, Levy. You always know just what to say."

The both of us looked up to see Porlyusica's large tree. We both turned to look at each other before sighing and walking up the front steps. I knocked gingerly before a harsh voice sounded from the other side. "Go away!"

"So sorry to bother you, Ma'am. But it's Lucy and Levy from Fairy Tail. We were hoping we could touch base with you about women's issues," I responded as politely as possible.

The door swung open violently before we were confronted with the pink-haired woman. "Which one of you is pregnant? Don't tell me it's both of you," she said harshly.

Lucy spread her hands wide in front of her. "No, no. Neither of us is pregnant."

"But, that is why we are here," I picked up. "We're both—" I hesitated, not wanting to jump the gun for Lucy, "or at least I am intimate with someone and we want to protect ourselves."

The woman sighed before swinging the door open further, waving us in. The main room was small and filled with a variety of plants and herbs in jars. There were a few chairs strewn about the room in no particular placement. "Sit down," she directed. Lucy and I grabbed chairs closest to us as quickly as possible and sat down rigidly at attention.

The woman went over to her desk and moved some papers around before picking up two thick bound books. She plopped one on each of our laps. Lucy and I picked up the roughly bound volumes. "Taking Charge of your Fertility?" I read the title aloud.

"Yes. I got tired of all you fairy tail women coming to me and me having to give you the talk over and over again so I wrote it all down. Read these and come back to me if you have questions," she replied in a bored tone.

"Could you just go over the highlights for us?" I inquired. We trekked all the way out here; she could at least give us a taste of what we were in for.

The herbalist sighed, before leaning against her desk. "Basically, there are three phases to a woman's cycle: menses, preovulatory and luteal. Up until the day you release an egg you are in your preovulatory phase. Once your body has ovulated, or released an egg, you will begin your luteal cycle. If you do not conceive before the egg dies, which happens within 24 hours of it being released, you will shed your lining at the end of your luteal cycle and begin menses. If you take your temperature at the same time every morning you will be able to confirm you have ovulated with a temperature shift. Before you ovulate your temperatures will be low and after you ovulate they will be high as a result of progesterone being your dominant hormone. Once you have confirmed that you have ovulated and waited the required number of days for the egg to die, you are no longer at a risk of pregnancy until you menstruate. Any questions?"

Lucy and I just looked at one another. This was a lot to take in. We both sat there in silence before the woman continued. "It is my suggestion that you use protection with a partner until you become exclusive. Even after you are exclusive, you should track your cycles and know your phases well before you rely on this as a method of birth control. But even if you never use this as your primary method of birth control, it is still important as women to understand your bodies."

I nodded my head in agreement. "Thank you, ma'am, for taking the time to explain this to us. We will both read these books carefully."

I might have been imagining it, but I thought I saw the lady smile the smallest bit before she promptly kicked us out of her home.

"Well that was weird," Lucy said with a dazed look.

"Yeah," I agreed. "Who knew about all that stuff she was talking about?"

"Well I certainly didn't. You'd think this is something they'd teach you when they separate the boys and girls in middle school, you know?" Lucy pondered.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Seems like it. But I guess we don't make the rules."

Lucy laughed and nudged me with her elbow. "Not yet, anyways."

We turned to start walking back towards Magnolia when a heavy pair of boots sounded behind us. Both of us turned, fully expecting a shady figure ready to take us out, but were pleasantly surprised to see Gajeel, brushing himself off from his jump—out of the trees?

"Gajeel?" I said breathlessly, surprised by his sudden appearance.

He gave me a wink before sauntering over to me. "Missed me so much you had to come looking for me after your first day, huh?" he said with a cocky smile. He wrapped his arms around me and I batted at his hard body.

"You wish. Lucy and I were visiting Porlyusica," I explained.

"Is that so? I guess I'll let this little cover up of yours slide." He pressed a kiss to my lips as Lucy let out an audible, "awwww."

Gajeel broke our contact, leaving me wanting so much more. When I finally got my head screwed back on straight, I spoke up, "How's the job going?"

The sound of Lily's wings traveled to where we were standing before the black exceed landed beside Gajeel. "I'd be happy to give you a full report, Miss Levy."

I smiled at the little cat. He was always so militaristic. It was surprising he hadn't let loose, given how much time he spent around Fairy Tail. "That is very kind of you, Lily. But I think I'll pass." I turned my gaze back on Gajeel.

"Another couple of days and we should be back home," he said, providing me the short answer.

I tried to hide my pout at being stuck without him for another couple of days, but he saw right through it. "Don't pout, shrimp. We're working as fast as we can."

"Well, I guess we'll leave you guys to it!" Lucy said, pulling my arm in the opposite direction.

"Oh," I said in surprise as I started being hauled off back towards Magnolia by the surprisingly strong Lucy. "Okay, well bye then."

Gajeel looked slightly peeved that our conversation was cut off so soon but he finally waved before he and Lilly turned back the other way.

"Lucy!" I huffed, finally breaking free of her iron-grasp. "What was that for?"

Lucy rolled her eyes. "I'm not gonna hang around in the forest by myself while you two go off and do god only knows what! I saw that look he was giving you! If we hadn't gotten out of there then, you'd never have made it back to the city with your panties on!"

I was surprised by my friend's observation but I couldn't completely say she was wrong. I sighed before responding, "When we get out of this damn forest, can we please go get some lunch?"

"Best idea you've had all day!" she responded cheerfully.


	24. Forest Fuck

. . .

Lucy rolled her eyes. "I'm not gonna hang around in the forest by myself while you two go off and do god only knows what! I saw that look he was giving you! If we hadn't gotten out of there then, you'd never have made it back to the city with your panties on!"

I was surprised by my friend's observation but I couldn't completely say she was wrong. I sighed before responding, "When we get out of this damn forest, can we please go get some lunch?"

"Best idea you've had all day!" she responded cheerfully.

. . .

A few hours later found me full from lunch with Lucy and back at my apartment, reading the book Porlyusica had gifted us. The read was truly fascinating, but I was getting hung up on the "Peak plus four" rule. Not to mention how distracted my mind was.

I placed the book down next to me and sighed, allowing my eyes to close.

 _"Leave it to Gajeel to get into my head so much that I can't even read anymore."_ I sighed, not actually mad at the man. I looked at the clock on my nightstand. It was only 4 o'clock. The sun wasn't due to set for another couple of hours.

 _"If I can't get this question answered now, it will keep me up all night."_ I resolved to walk back to Porlyusica's house so I could ask her in person. I figured the fresh air and the time alone might also be good to clear my head.

. . .

The town was pretty lively. People were either heading home or out to dinner after a long days work. I tried to keep to the side of the path so I didn't get in the way. When I finally made it to the outskirts of the town and stepped into the tree line, I breathed a sigh of relief. It felt so much calmer out here.

_"I can see why the woman wants to live where she does. There is nothing quite as beautiful as the forest."_

I walked in silence; the only sounds the crunching of leaves and snapping of twigs under my feet. I allowed my mind to wander as I tried to process everything that had happened to me in such a short time frame.

 _"Literally got swept off my feet for Gajeel, literally fell for said man, and then subsequently fell into bed with said man,"_ I chuckled to myself. Things had moved rather quickly during and after that first job of ours. I was surprised at how quickly I got swept up by him. I tried to reason that I was just getting older and more confident in myself, but deep down, I know it had more to do with him than it did with me.

With Gajeel, nothing was measured. Everything seemed spur of the moment. It was such a contrast from who I've always been. Calm, cool, measured. _"Opposites do attract, I suppose."_

I sighed, looking up at the large tree in front of me. I knocked gingerly, already feeling my body wince, as I waited for the pink haired woman to berate me for disturbing her again.

. . .

In a surprising turn of events, the woman seemed the _slightest_ bit pleased that I had actually been reading the book and been reading it to such an extent that I had a question. While she droned on for a few minutes about being disturbed, it seemed more of a show than anything else.

She spoke with me at length and really cleared up the question I was having. I felt more confident in my knowledge now. While I wanted to track my cycles for a few months before using this method as a means of birth control, I at least felt more confident in my knowledge if I decided to do so.

I smiled at the older woman as I walked out of her dwelling. I could tell she was trying her best not to smile back. I didn't hold it against her. It was clear that at some point in her past, people had not been kind to her and that had caused the aversion she has to the public today.

I felt the gust of wind behind me as the door slammed. I laughed inwardly before turning to head back to town. I looked out at the horizon between the trees. The sun was starting to set. _"I better get a move on before it gets dark."_

Despite being a Fairy Tail wizard, I still didn't want to be out by myself in the forest after dark. It just felt creepy!

I'd been walking for a minute or two when suddenly, a loud _thud_ sounded behind me. My heart leapt out of my chest. I tried to take cover behind a nearby tree but something from behind me caught my hand. As I turned around, I fully expected to see an oversized, oversexed Vulcan staring me down.

While what I did see was oversized and quite possibly oversexed, it was not a Vulcan. "Gajeel!" I breathed a sigh of relief. He used my hand to pull me into his chest. Being as small as I was, the little bit of force caused me to go crashing into him. He wrapped me in his arms and kissed the top of my head.

When we finally broke the embrace, he pushed me back just enough so that he could look into my eyes. "I thought I smelled you. What are you doing back here? It's getting dark; you should be back at my place."

"I had a question for Porylusica that I _needed_ answered," I explained. That's when I realized just what Gajeel had said. "Wait, your place? Why would I be at your place?"

Gajeels mouth formed a thin, crooked line. He cocked one eyebrow down before responding. "I dunno," he said, honestly. "I guess when I pictured you, I just pictured you at my place."

I smiled up at him brightly. "That's weirdly sweet, Gajeel."

"Geez," he sighed. "I'm becoming such a softy, huh?"

I snuggled my nose into his chest, breathing in his scent. "I like it," I laughed. I wrapped my arms up around his neck and pulled him down to my height. "But, there's not really much of you that classifies as 'soft'," I kidded.

Gajeel let out a low growl before licking the shell of my ear. In a move that made me gasp, he grabbed me firmly by the hips and thrust himself into me, letting me feel just how "not soft" he really was.

My eyes darted around to look at our surroundings. I wanted him, but I didn't know if in the middle of the woods on the outskirts of town was the best place. "Here?" I voiced my concerns.

In response, Gajeel picked me up by my hips and linked my feet around his waist. He walked us a few steps until he was pressing my back against a tree. I could feel the heat of his chest on me as he began to trail kisses down my neck and across my collarbone. "What's wrong with here?" he growled against my skin.

I tried to keep my breathing regular but I already knew I was a lost cause. "We're outside," I panted. His lips had moved further down, dangerously close to my chest. One of his hands came up to cup my left mound as he teased my nipple above my dress.

"So?" His lips came crashing down onto mine and I moaned into his embrace. Desire overcame logic and I let the feelings of lust wash over me. Gajeel had a way of completely drowning me in his power, but I loved it. I loved feeling completely swept up in his embrace.

I could tell that Gajeel had been hard at work. He smelled of sweat but for some reason, I was loving his musky scent at this moment. "God you smell amazing," I moaned against his lips.

I could feel him smirk before he ground himself against me harder, holding me firmer against the trunk of the tree. Before I knew it, my dress was pulled down, exposing my breasts to the chill of the evening air. I didn't have much time to register just what had happened before Gajeel's lips were on one side while his fingers brushed over my other nipple.

I could feel my arousal building. I pushed against his shoulders. "Gajeel," I breathed. He grunted in response, never leaving his work on my chest. "Find somewhere to lie us down."

At my words, his mouth left my chest and his hands gripped me firmly underneath my thighs. I found myself being whirled around. I tried to get my bearings as he carried us a few steps and deposited me on what I could only assume was a patch of grass. I reached up for him, wanting his body pressed back against me.

His legs came to straddle my body as he looked down at me. I could see the gleam in his eye. I knew this fuck was going to be rough but I wanted him just the same. I lifted my skirt up in invitation and moved my panties over for him. That was all the invitation he needed because his mouth was over my pearl in a second. I nearly screamed his name as he started to flick his tongue over the sensitive nub.

His fingers trailed irregular patterns on the inside of my thigh before he finally allowed them to caress my inner lips. His touches were teasing at first, playing with the flesh in order to increase my arousal. I could feel the tension deep in my core building and I attempted to keep my breathing deep and even so I could really experience everything this man was giving to me.

His fingers circled my entrance, once, twice, before plunging into my depths. I gasped at the intrusion as he set a slow rhythm at first. Gradually, he increased the speed until I was nearly thrashing in pleasure. My movements became smaller and my toes began to point. I could feel myself right on the edge of that precipice and as he sucked my pearl into his mouth, I cascaded over that edge.

My muscles tensed as waves of pleasure crashed through me. My walls began pulsing their release, but before I had even come down completely from my high, Gajeel was unzipping his pants with great speed.

He lined himself up at my entrance; his pants pulled halfway down his legs. I was still floating my way back down to the patch of grass, letting the ripples flow through my body when I felt him rub the tip of his manhood against my entrance. After sufficiently coating himself in my release, he finally speared into me in one swift movement.

I gasped and reached up, grabbing onto his shoulders to try and ground myself. His movements were not gentle. He rocked into me with everything he had. As his hips ground into me, his body naturally rubbed my overly sensitive clit, continuing to draw pleasure out of me with each move. With each thrust, my breasts bounced against his chest and I bit my lip to try and stop the moans that continued to rise up in my throat.

"Shit, Levy," Gajeel ground out. "I'm gonna come." His speed increased to the point where I was just holding against his body for dear life. With a guttural moan, he pulled out of me and spilled his seed into the grass between my legs.

After his release, the previously feral man collapsed onto the ground next to me. We both laid there for some time, panting from exertion. I gathered the energy to right my panties and fix my dress as best I could after a few minutes and I saw him do the same with his pants. I propped myself up onto my elbow and smiled down at Gajeel. He winked an eye open at me and gave me a half smile in return. I let my other hand fall onto his chest as I drew irregular patterns across his still slightly heaving chest.

"It's my first time doing it in a forest," I giggled.

"Mine too," he said with a wink. "Can't say I didn't enjoy it."

I smiled down at him before snuggling closer to his frame. I let my head fall into the crook of his shoulder and his arm came behind me to wrap me in his embrace. I can't say how long we laid this way, but it was so wonderful. Looking from him to up at the few stars that peaked through the trees—it was truly peaceful.

I felt my eyes getting heavy as exhaustion began to set in from the day's events. Just as I was about to give into the night, an eerie howl sounded around us. I felt Gajeel's body immediately tighten. "Fuck!" he exclaimed, pushing himself up to a crouching position. His hand tried to push me back behind him as he began to sniff the air around us.

"Stay close to me and follow my lead," he whispered. I nodded my agreement, pushing myself into a crouched position as well.

As I looked out into the now-dark forest, I saw a pair of gleaming eyes staring back at me.


	25. Home

. . .

I felt my eyes getting heavy as exhaustion began to set in from the day's events. Just as I was about to give into the night, an eerie howl sounded around us. I felt Gajeel's body immediately tighten. "Fuck!" he exclaimed, pushing himself up to a crouching position. His hand tried to push me back behind him as he began to sniff the air around us.

"Stay close to me and follow my lead," he whispered. I nodded my agreement, pushing myself into a crouched position as well.

As I looked out into the now-dark forest, I saw a pair of gleaming eyes staring back at me.

. . .

I looked at Gajeel. He was crouched low to the ground, ready to spring forward if need be. I prepared myself mentally for what could be an intense battle. I had the words "Shield" on the tip of my tongue.

Gajeel moved slowly back from the creature, keeping his hands spread wide. I took small steps back with him, staying on his heel. Him and the creature never broke eye contact the entire time.

As Gajeel stilled, I felt the air settle with thick tension. No one moved and the two creatures continued staring at one another. I hadn't realized that I was holding my breath until a large snap startled all three of us. Roaring to life, the creature came bounding out of the bushes.

I looked up with both fear and awe. The creature had the form of a bear but was much larger. He stood easily on his two hind legs. His dark brown fur stood on end, making his form seem that much larger. His red eyes gleamed with rage as he stretched him mouth wide, letting out an ear shattering roar.

Gajeel made the first move, lunging towards the beast. "IRON DRAGON HARD FIST," Gajeel yelled as his hand turned into steel, stretching outwards to hit the creature in his knee. I heard a crack as the blow made contact and the creature howled, but it just seemed to enrage him more.

 _"This is no ordinary bear,"_ I thought to myself. Gajeel continued to fight him. The creature's strength and endurance was incredible. Gajeel was landing hits that would have made even Laxus cry, but this creature still seemed unfazed.

The look in the bear's eyes was more than wild at this point. I had climbed up a small tree at the edge of the clearing to avoid any stray hits and also to try and strategize. It was clear that Gajeel was going to wear out before this creature would and that wouldn't be good for either of us.

I looked down and saw the creature plunge his hands into the earth. _"I've never seen a bear do this before!"_ As the creature lifted his hands back up, the earth beneath us seemed to flex and grow unstable. The bear let out a fierce roar and finally pulled his hands completely up and out of the earth.

From my vantage point, I couldn't believe what I was seeing; the once flat clearing had been transformed into a small hilltop. The clearing itself was the summit and the trees surrounding it, including the one on which I was crouched, were all now angled slightly with the changed incline.

That's when it hit me. _"This is not a creature of this world! No creature of this world could do this!"_

"Gajeel!" I yelled down to him. Keeping his focus on the creature in front of him he yelled back in acknowledgement.

"It's a yokai!" I tried to explain to him. "The creature is an Onikuma!"

"Are you sayin' it can't be killed?" he yelled back, dodging a blow from the bear.

"Not exactly. But it can only be killed in a very specific way!" I shouted back down to him.

I could tell the conversation was distracting him. The creature's blows were getting just a little too close and he was tiring. "Any details would be great right about now," he said sarcastically.

I sighed. He could even manage to be persnickety at a time like this. "It can only be killed with a spear to its heart," I explained.

"You sure?" he responded.

I nodded my head. "At least that's what the legend says." I sent up a silent prayer that I had recalled the myth correctly. As I remembered from my studies, the Onikuma was a bear that had once lived a very long life and then become a yokai. He was said to have the strength of ten men and was mostly known for stealing horses from villages.

It was thought that he could move boulders and even form mountains, which is what had clued me into what this creature might be. Apparently, so the legend went, the villagers were tired of having their horses stolen and so many set out to kill the beast at one time or another. Despite using heavy weapons of all sorts, no one was ever successful.

It took many years and the work of the entire village to craft a weapon long enough and deadly enough to find its way to the beast's one weak spot: its heart. Only a spear to the heart was said to be able to bring down such a monster.

"Let's hope this works!" Gajeel grunted, as he formed his arm into a long spear. But the creature seemed to know what was about to happen and guarded his center carefully. As I watched, I feared for Gajeel. He was definitely getting tired and the fight did not look like it was going his way.

_"I've got to do something. If I don't, Gajeel is not going to be able to win this."_

Pushing down my nerves and steeling my resolve, I jumped down from the tree, landing softly on the ground. I ran quickly behind the creature before shouting, "SOLID SCRIPT MAGIC: FIRE." Light and heat surrounded the creature as I pushed my spell onto it. I knew it wasn't going to do much to harm him, but I just wanted to distract him enough.

I threw another small spell of iron in Gajeel's direction. He grabbed it greedily but I couldn't be bothered to watch him eat. The yokai had turned his rage towards me. Thankfully, a creature his size did not move quickly and I was able to evade his blows by jumping out of the way each time.

I saw from the corner of my eye that Gajeel was looking for his opening. I just needed to give that to him and this fight would be over. "SOLID SCRIPT MAGIC: STONE." I sent the spell up and large pieces of rock began to rain down on the bear. While it didn't do much to hurt him, it did distract him enough for Gajeel to make his move.

"IRON DRAGON IRON LANCE!" he shouted, as his arm extended out from his body in the form of a thin spear. The spear struck the bear through the back and clean through to the other end. I held my breath to see whether or not Gajeel had hit his mark. After what felt like an eternity, the creature slumped forward, falling fully onto the ground.

Gajeel withdrew his spear before the creature fell forward. The iron turned back into flesh and I grimaced internally as I saw his hand was covered in fresh blood. I turned back to look at the Onikuma, only to see its form faltering. At the same time, I also felt the ground beneath us start to heave slightly. I grabbed onto a nearby tree to steady myself as the earth around us returned to its normal form.

Looking back down at the creature, its eyes were no longer glowing read and the creature almost seemed as if it was shrinking, looking more and more like a normal bear. Its form continued to grow hazy, as if a black smoke was surrounding it. Finally, all I could see was the outline of where it had fallen before the haze lifted and there was nothing left in its wake.

"Wow," I finally breathed out, unsure of what I had just seen. I suppose I shouldn't have been too surprised. I did live in a world of magic after all. It's just that I had always thought that yokai were purely myth. I didn't actually think they existed in the same world as humans.

"That's some fucked up shit," Gajeel said to himself. I looked at him sideways and cocked him a smile.

"I guess that's one way to describe an encounter with the spirit realm," I laughed.

"Come on, Blue. Let's go home."

. . .

The both of us landed back at Gajeel's apartment close to midnight and promptly passed out in his bed. I barely managed to throw my clothes onto the floor before I climbed into his bed in just my panties. Gajeel seemed to be in the same state, dragging himself to the bathroom to rinse his hands before letting his clothes fall wherever they landed and crashing onto the bed in his boxers.

The next morning, as my eyes fluttered open, I awoke to Gajeel laying next to me. He had propped his head on his hand and was gently running his fingers through my hair. I smiled up at him and gave myself a big stretch before wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him down for a long kiss.

I loved kissing this man; I don't think I'd ever get tired of it. The way he poured all of his passion into each encounter, the feeling of his lips against my own and the way he always teased me with his tongue—he always had me instantly lubricated, ready for more.

"You're incredible, you know that?" he sighed as he pulled back from our kiss.

"What do you mean?" I responded honestly.

He let himself fall onto his back. He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me close into his side. "The way you handled yourself back there in the forest. Shit, Levy. I would have been screwed if you weren't there. How'd you know what that thing was?"

I let his metallic scent wash over me. His odor was definitely stronger this morning, given how neither of us had the energy to shower before passing out the night before.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I had read about it at one point. Seeing him lift the ground the way he did clued me into what he was."

"Yeah but how'd you know how to kill it?" he inquired.

"It was wrapped up in a lesson of sorts," I tried to explain. "The creature was a demon bear, known for stealing and eating the horses of villages. Many villagers ventured out to kill the beast but none were successful. It was only when the villagers worked together to form the strongest of lances were they able to kill the beast."

"I'm not followin' the moral part," Gajeel grunted.

I gave him a small pinch in the side and a smile. "A single man cannot defeat great evil. It takes a village," I explained.

Gajeel grunted again. He seemed to get quiet for a minute, clearly thinking about something. "I guess you're my village then, Blue."

It was my turn to not follow. "What do you mean?"

"I would have been screwed if you hadn't been there. Let's face it, there's no way I could have beaten that thing if it hadn't been for your information. It's you, Levy," at this point he turned to look me straight in the eye. "You're the one that has helped me face a great evil. You're my village."

My mind was drawing a blank. What do you say to such an amazing confession like that? All I could do was draw myself closer into his form before saying, "Thank you, Gajeel. I love you, too."

Gajeel turned me so that I was lying on his chest, looking into his eyes. He stared back at me, confident and calm as he spoke. "I want you to move in with me."

My eyes widened in response. We had only just begun—whatever it was this is—not too long ago. Didn't he think it was a little soon to be moving in together? "Gajeel, I feel so strongly for you. But, we've barely been together for that long. Are you sure that's something we're really ready for?" My mind was once again, traveling at the speed of light. Deep down I knew that I loved Gajeel and I doubted that I'd ever be able to love someone else the way I loved him if things didn't work out. _"But, moving in together so soon? Is it really a smart decision?"_

His answer was so calm and confident; it put my mind at ease. "It's you, Levy. I'm a Dragon Slayer with dragon instincts. When I've found my mate I know it, no question."

"Did you just say mate?" I asked frantically.

Gajeel smirked his famous smirk. "Call it what you want, mate, partner, destiny, fate, whatever. It's all the same. It's you, Blue. No one else. I'm sure of it."

I felt like I should be happy but there were just so many questions going through my mind. What does it mean to be a dragon's mate? Is there a process involved? How will this affect his and my magic? How will it affect our lives? _"Oh my gosh, I need to get to a library and do some research! Stat!"_

"Slow it down in there," Gajeel said, bringing me out of my trance. "There's no need to rush any of this. And things don't just happen overnight. But our bond will continue to strengthen when we spend time with one another. Ultimately, it's up to you. But just know, I want you here."

He was looking at me with such an intensity. I felt myself fall into his eyes which held such a burning passion for me. The words were out of my mouth before I could even process them, "I want to be here, too."

My Iron Dragonslayer didn't need any more encouragement than that. Within a second he had me flipped over onto my back as his legs pushed mine apart. He kissed me with such a deep passion that I all but lost track of my surroundings. The feeling of his hot core rubbing against my own body was simply amazing and I could feel the tension in my body building as he worked me into a state of anticipation.

Just as Gajeel's hands started to roam around my body, the door to the apartment slammed open, giving me a huge start.

"GAAAAJJJEEEEEEEELLL!" Pantherlily yelled from the other room.

"Shit!" Gajeel exclaimed, letting his head fall into the crook of my neck. "I'm really in for it now."

I sighed, wondering when we were ever gonna catch a break.


	26. Kiss and Make Up

. . .

Just as Gajeel's hands started to roam around my body, the door to the apartment slammed open, giving me a huge start.

"GAAAAJJJEEEEEEEELLL!" Pantherlily yelled from the other room.

"Shit!" Gajeel exclaimed, letting his head fall into the crook of my neck. "I'm really in for it now."

I sighed, wondering when we were ever gonna catch a break.

. . .

I heard the door to the bedroom crash open and I quickly ducked my entire body under the covers. Gajeel sat up in the bed, sighing as he did so.

"Excuse my language, Gajeel, but what the _fudge_ was that all about? Leaving me in the woods? Thinking you had been injured or worse!" Lily was getting worked up and started to pace back and forth at the foot of the bed.

Gajeel cleared his throat before finally speaking up, "First off, you really need to learn to swear better. And second, shit, Lily, my bad. I just got a little, distracted after fighting off the creature."

"My bad? My Bad? _MY BAD?_ Is that all you can say to me? You left me alone in the woods, Gajeel!" I'd never seen Lily lose his temper before but he was slowly getting there. I tried to stay as still as possible under the covers. I had a feeling my presence was only going to make things worse.

"Look, I apologized, okay?!" Gajeel yelled back. "You ain't got to go and get all pissy on me." It was clear from my spot under the covers that Gajeel didn't like being called out on his mistake.

Lily floated up to the bed and pointed his finger straight at Gajeel's face. "No. You didn't apologize. And I'm not getting pissy! You are!"

 _"Oh boy. This is not going to end well,"_ I mused.

"Don't put your paw in my face!" Gajeel yelled, leaping out of the bed. "And yes, you are getting pissy at me!" With Gajeel's exit from the bed, he took with him part of the covers, exposing my crouched form to the room.

Lily looked at me in shock, then back to Gajeel, before clearing his throat. "My apologies, Levy. I did not realize that you were here."

I pursed my lips and shook my head slightly, as if to say "No worries."

Lily turned on his heel and headed towards the door. "I shall take my leave. But notice, Gajeel," he said with emphasis, turning around to stare at the Dragon Slayer, "how I alerted you to my whereabouts so you would not worry."

As Lily closed the door behind him, Gajeel grabbed a pillow and threw it at the door before yelling, "and I also noticed how dramatic you're being!"

Gajeel was panting slightly and I could tell he was on edge. To be honest, I really felt like Gajeel and I had made a mistake, leaving Lily out in the woods like that without going back to tell him that the job was over. I think Gajeel knew it too but actually felt bad and went on the defensive.

"Does he have to make such a big deal over something like this?" Gajeel said with a huff, letting himself fall back on the bed. I finally moved from my spot, climbing over to where he was laying and gently ran my fingers through his hair, encouraging him to calm down.

"I'm sure he was just worried about you when you went missing. I think he does have a point," I said softly.

Apparently those weren't the right words because Gajeel lifted himself up onto his hands to stare at me with those intense crimson eyes. "Sure, take his side!" he said with a raised voice.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not taking anyone's side, Gajeel. I'm just saying that I understand why he was upset."

"That's taking sides!" Gajeel nearly yelled, standing up once more from the bed.

I was shocked to see him get this way. Normally Gajeel was so level headed, not letting anything get to him. But right now he seemed so angry he was practically panting from exertion.

I could understand that he was upset but I also wasn't okay with being yelled at, and I told him as much.

"Well don't feel obligated to stick around at my expense if you're so unhappy!" he flustered back.

My lips set into a thin line and I got out of bed and started throwing my dress back on. When he saw that I was fixing to leave his attitude changed. "Shit, Levy. I didn't mean it. Don't go, okay?"

I turned around to face him, fully dressed with my shoes in my hand. "I'm not mad. I just think you need some time alone to figure out what's going on with Lily. I'll be at the Guild when you're ready to talk."

"Levy," he pleaded, but I had already made up my mind.

. . .

Upon entering the Guildhall I plopped myself down at a seat opposite Lucy and let my head fall onto the table. I let out a deep sigh. She lowered her head down so she could make eye contact with me. "What's got you so upset?"

I let out another deep sigh, my breath fanning the bangs away from the front of my face. "Gajeel asked me to move in with him."

Lucy let out an "eep!" before giving me a strange look. "Levy! That's great! But why are you so down?"

I moved my lips to one side before rolling my head to look up at my friend. "We got in a little tizzy and I left his apartment in kind of a huff," I explained.

Lucy's lips gave away a small smirk before she leaned in to say, "Oh, I see. You two had your first fight."

I deadpanned before saying, "It wasn't really a fight. I didn't get mad. I just didn't like the way he was treating Lily."

Lucy nodded her head up and down vigorously. "Yep, yep! Sounds like a fight to me."

I rolled my eyes at my friend. "Way to fan the fire, Lu."

As the words left my mouth, Natsu rushed over to our table, almost knocking us both over before nearly shouting, "Did someone say fire?"

Lucy huffed and straightened her clothing before pushing Natsu back and off of her. " _Metaphorical_ fire, Natsu!"

Natsu stood up straight, tapping his fingers to his lips in deep thought. "Never tried that kind of fire before. I wonder if it tastes any good."

Lucy threw her hands up in the air before standing to face her partner. I watched the rather hilarious show unfold in front on me with interest. "Oh my god, Natsu! You can't eat metaphorical fire!"

"Holding out of me, huh Luce? I tell you what? I'll fight you for it! Winner gets to keep the fire!" Natsu said as he crouched into a ready position. The Fire Dragon Slayer made a motion to ready a punch and that's what tipped Lucy over the edge.

"If you throw a punch at me, I swear to god Natsu, I will do more than stick my metaphorical foot up your ass!" she screamed at him, chasing him the length of the Guildhall.

I chuckled at their antics. _"Talk about fights. Those two literally throw down every few days!"_

I heaved a heavy sigh and decided to grab a cup of tea and go up to my reading spot on the second floor. It'd been a while since I had some alone time to cuddle up with a good book and this whole situation was just the excuse I needed.

. . .

"Whoa, sorry! Didn't expect anyone else to be up here." A gruff voice startled me out of my reading reverie.

I jumped at the sound of Laxus' voice before lowering my book so I could meet his eyes. His stare was so intense and his eyes were the color of a rainstorm, if that even makes sense.

I shook my head. "No need for apologies. I was just using this level as a little escape," I said, marking my spot in my book before closing it gently.

Laxus let out a deep chuckle that reverberated through the rafters. "You and me both."

I found our little impromptu conversation to be somewhat odd, given that Laxus wasn't much of a talker. Coupled with the fact that we'd hardly ever spoken to each other. _"Oh and that time he almost fried me with his lightning. But I suppose he's done that to almost everyone in the Guild…"_

"What are you trying to escape from?" I inquired of him.

He rolled his eyes and took a seat at the table across from my reading nook by the window. "More like who," he responded quietly.

I let out a small chuckle. I could only figure he meant the Master. "I'm sure the Master will get off your case eventually," I tried to cheer him up.

He looked at me inquisitively before letting out a, "Huh?" He caught himself before saying, "Oh, right. Gramps. Him. Sure…"

_"Well this is certainly interesting. The Great Laxus Dreyar is trying to escape from someone other than his grandfather. I wonder who that could be."_

"And who is it you're hiding from?" he quirked a bushy eyebrow at me. I wasn't really interested in going into the whole thing. As far as I could tell, Laxus, being a guy and a Dragon Slayer, may even side with Gajeel on this one.

I placed my book in my lap and gave him a smirk. "Well that's not very fair is it? You didn't tell me whom you're running from. Why should I tell you?"

"Suit yourself," the large man said, leaning back in his chair and placing his feet up on the table. Laxus closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh.

Just then, a dark shadow appeared in front of me, materializing into the Iron Dragon Slayer. "Gajeel!" I exclaimed.

Laxus, unaware of Gajeel's presence let out a hum before saying, "Why would you be hiding from Gajeel?"

I blushed furiously. Gajeel cleared his throat, alerting the lightning slayer to his presence. "Am I interrupting something?" Gajeel looked curiously between Laxus and me.

"Just our quiet time," Laxus said with a bit of an attitude.

Gajeel looked about ready to punch through a wall and I could tell he was trying to keep his cool. "Do you mind, man? I kind of wanted to speak with Levy."

Laxus sighed and stood up. He glanced down to the Guild below before walking towards the stairs. "Can never get a moment of peace in this place…" I heard him mutter as he left for the bar.

Gajeel turned back around to face me. "Is there something going on between you two that I need to know about?" I could sense a hint of jealousy in Gajeel's words.

I rolled my eyes. "No, Gajeel," I huffed. "And I don't appreciate the innuendo. Laxus just happened to come up here while I was reading. This is the first time we've said more than two words to one another!"

Gajeel rubbed the back of his neck before opening and closing his mouth a few times. He finally found his words, "Sorry, Blue. You're just so damn important to me. I just can't help getting the way I get sometimes."

My heart burst a little at his words and I smiled sweetly. "It's okay. I just didn't like feeling accused of something like that."

"Mind if I sit?" the Dragon Slayer asked with pleading eyes. I edged myself over on the window bench a little further, giving him some extra room to sit by me. Gajeel took the offer, propping his leg up on the sill and facing opposite to me. He sighed and looked briefly out the window before looking back at me. "Sorry for being a giant dick."

I couldn't help but giggle at his crude way of apologizing. It was so like him.

He continued, "I worked things out with Lily. We went back to the village that posted the reward earlier today to collect. We talked on the way there."

I let my hands fall on top of his and I looked into his deep red eyes. "I'm glad you worked things out. Thank you for coming to tell me."

Gajeel had a look of shock on his face. "That's it? You're not going to be mad or yell or something?"

I gave the Slayer a weird look. "I told you when I left I wasn't mad. I just thought you needed some time to figure things out and so I wanted to give you that time!"

Gajeel held my gaze. "So you're not mad at me?" He had a look of deep concern in his eyes.

I shook my head slightly. "No, I promise I'm not mad. We all lose our cool from time to time. I'm not going to say it's okay, but I do realize it's a part of being human."

Gajeel sighed and pulled me between his legs to give me a tight hug. I relaxed in his arms, happy that our lover's spat didn't turn into anything more serious. I was glad that we seemed to be able to work out little quarrels in a constructive way.

"I was serious about what I said earlier. I want you with me, if that's still something you want." His breath was soft in my hair.

I pulled back so I could look up into his eyes. I smiled briefly before hugging myself back into his frame. "If you don't think it's moving too fast…" I let my words trail off. I definitely didn't want to rush things, but then at the same time, I really did trust Gajeel.

"I'm not going to push you but, like I said before, I want you with me." He paused for a moment before continuing. "I _need_ you with me."

"Then okay," I responded, hugging him tighter.

He pulled back a bit, looking at me with intensity. "You understand I'm a Dragon Slayer, right? We get…possessive. You're okay with being mind and no one else's?"

I batted my hands at his chest before saying, "I thought that's already how things were, silly!"

In response, the man just growled softly before leaning forward to capture my lips. I allowed myself to fall into his kiss as his hands wound their way around my waist, pulling me closer into his form.

His lips moved against mine and I tried not to moan as his tongue slid into my mouth, caressing my own tongue gently. His hands wound their way up to run through my hair. When he finally broke the kiss, we were both panting.

"I hated being apart from you," he gasped. "I've got to have you now."

I looked at him with a confused look. "You just saw me this morning!"

Gajeel shook his head slightly before saying, "I'll explain later. Come on." He grabbed my wrist a little roughly and within seconds I found myself being pulled down the stairs behind him. From the looks of it, he was leading us towards the storeroom.

When we finally rounded the corner to the back hallway, but before we reached our destination, Gajeel stopped short. Without warning, I barreled right into him but he caught me around the waist and steadied me.

"What's going on?" I inquired of him.

He made an uncomfortable grunt before saying, "I think the storeroom is occupied." He seemed more than disappointed.

"Really?" I gasped. "By who?!" I was just dying to know. Gossip in Fairy Tail was as good as jewel, even better in some cases. It could buy you things that money just couldn't when you absolutely needed it the most.

"I shouldn't say," Gajeel replied but it was too late.

Voices escaped the room in question and I distinctly heard an "Oh Laxus." I giggled and threw my hands up to my mouth. "Come on, Gajeel! Tell me! Who's in there with him?"

Gajeel sighed before finally saying, "The keg and her keeper."

I furrowed my brow at his coy answer. "Are you telling me riddles?" I asked incredulously.

"It's a guy code thing, Blue. I can't tell you but who's to say you didn't figure it out on your own." And with that, he turned and encouraged me to follow behind him. I wasn't even paying attention to where we were walking, since I was trying to think of who in the Guild might fit that description.

When I finally had my answer, I stopped dead in my tracks. I looked up at Gajeel, only to realize that I had followed him all the way back to my apartment. "Was he in there with Mira AND Cana?" I asked incredulously.

Gajeel just chuckled, before reaching into my pocket for my keyfob. "The man's got guts. Those are two chicks that I wouldn't mess with. From the looks of them, once they set their sights on something, I doubt they let go very easily."

I followed Gajeel through the door and waited beside him for the elevator. "I guess now I know the answer to my earlier question," I mused out loud.

Gajeel cocked an eyebrow at me and I just giggled in response.

The bell for the car sounded and we both entered. Immediately upon stepping through the threshold I found myself being pinned by Gajeel's hulking frame. "Don't worry, Blue. In less than 60 seconds I'll have you screaming louder than both those two combined."

As I moaned into his kiss, I didn't doubt the truth of his statement for a second.


	27. Three's Company

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: There are two things you need to know: Number one, this chapter is some serious citrus. Number two, it does not focus on Gajeel and Levy (stop booing. Stop! STOP! I promise it's good. Just flipping read it okay. You're going to like it. I just know you will. I think we know each other well enough by now for me to assume certain things. Okay, okay! Fine, whatever. You be the judge. But I can't wait to tell you I told you so).

"Whoa, sorry. Didn't expect anyone else to be up here." A gruff voice startled Levy out of her reading reverie.

The little blue haired girl jumped at the sound of Laxus' voice before lowering her book so she could meet his eyes. The blonde stared at her intently with his grey gaze, as if sizing her up.

She shook her head. "No need for apologies. I was just using this level as a little escape," she said, marking her spot in her book before closing it gently.

Laxus let out a deep chuckle that reverberated through the rafters. "You and me both."

Levy cocked her head to the side as if in silent thought. "What are you trying to escape from?" she inquired.

The large man rolled his eyes and took a seat at the table across from Levy's reading nook by the window. "More like who," he responded quietly.

The girl let out a small chuckle. "I'm sure the Master will get off your case eventually," she said, trying to cheer him up.

Laxus cocked an eyebrow before giving her an inquisitive glance. "Huh?" He caught himself before saying, "Oh, right. Gramps. Him. Sure," his words trailed off. Before Levy could follow up with any more questions, he continued, "And who is it you're hiding from?" The lightning mage quirked his eyebrow and smirked.

Levy placed her book in her lap before returning his grin. "Well that's not very fair is it? You didn't tell me whom you're running from. Why should I tell you?"

"Suit yourself," the large man said, leaning back in his chair and placing his feet up on the table. Laxus closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh.

A dark shadow appeared in front of Levy suddenly, materializing into the Iron Dragon Slayer. "Gajeel!" the bluenette exclaimed.

Laxus, unaware of Gajeel's presence let out a hum before saying, "Why would you be hiding from Gajeel?"

The script mage blushed furiously. Gajeel cleared his throat, alerting the lightning slayer to his presence. "Am I interrupting something?" Gajeel looked curiously between Laxus and Levy.

"Just our quiet time," Laxus said with a bit of an attitude.

Gajeel looked about ready to punch through a wall and it was obvious to any observer he was trying to keep his cool. "Do you mind, man? I kind of wanted to speak with Levy."

Laxus sighed and stood up. He glanced down to the Guild before walking towards the stairs. "Can never get a moment of peace in this place," his mumbled as he left for the bar.

Taking a seat at the bar, Laxus signaled for Mira. The white-haired beauty walked to wear the lightning slayer was sitting and promptly handed him a foaming mug of beer. "What's got you in a mood?" Mira asked with a gleam in her eye.

He took a slow sip of his drink before placing the mug back in front of him. He merely raised his eyebrows in response to the woman's question before turning to look out over the guild. Evergreen's back was facing Laxus and he was thankful. He really did care for his teammate but he'd had enough of her motherly nagging about him taking better care of himself for one day. His gaze attracted the attention of Cana, who was chumming it up with the other members of the Thunder Legion.

" _It's not often the Lightning God makes a social appearance downstairs,"_ the card mage mused. " _This could be interesting."_

Piquing her interest, the brunette excused herself from the table before sauntering over to the bar to sit down next to Laxus. "Fancy seeing you here," she teased before taking a sip from her wine bottle.

Laxus rolled his eyes slightly before returning to his own drink. He had a bad feeling about how the conversation would go with these two women together so he downed the rest of his drink in a long, final gulp. "Thanks for the drink, Mira," he said as he began to stand.

The barmaid placed a soft hand on the larger man's sleeve, catching his attention. "Oh, Laxus. If it's not too much trouble, could I ask a favor?" she said sweetly.

The man groaned internally. It's not that he didn't care deeply for his guildmates, it's just that he had been working a lot of high level job requests lately and was truly exhausted. Against his better judgment he turned and grunted at the model for her to continue.

"Well you see, it's just that I need towels for the bar but they're in a really heavy box on a high shelf. I was wondering if you could help me get it down?"

Laxus nodded before turning to head towards the storage room. As he walked down the hallway, he thought about how odd of a request this was. Mira was among the strongest mages Fairy Tail had amongst its ranks. Surely she wouldn't struggle with such a simple thing like moving a heavy box.

The man shrugged his shoulders in defeat before arriving at the room. "Where the hell is the damn light switch?" he said aloud.

. . .

"He seems tense," Cana commented between sips.

Mira nodded her head in agreement. She had a worried look in her eye as she looked towards the storage room's general direction. The barmaid had carried a torch for the lightning mage for quite some time, but things never seemed to work out between them when they were younger. Then he had gotten so lost as he progressed into his young twenties, culminating in the Fantasia incident. She was so relieved when he returned to the Guild, a truly changed man.

Cana, on the other hand, had never had a true thing for the lightning mage. However, she definitely appreciated how fine of a specimen he was. The two had fooled around a few times before Laxus was expelled. Cana had always sensed that him and Mira were meant to end up together but neither of them could seem to get their act together to make it happen.

The brunette quirked an eyebrow up at Mira. "So what've you got planned in the storeroom for him, anyways?"

Mira furrowed her brows together. "What do you mean?" she replied.

Cana put the now empty bottle down on the bar top before resting her head against her hands. "I mean," she explained, "every time you send someone into that store room, you've set up some sort of half-baked love scheme. So what gives?"

Mira's laughter tinkled through the hall. "Honest to God, Cana! I actually do need more towels! Every time I send someone back there for them, I never seem to get them."

Cana just rolled her eyes before mumbling. "I wonder why." She gave the white-haired beauty a knowing look before continuing. "I bet I know what might help him loosen up a little."

"Oh yeah?" the barmaid replied. "Tell me! I'd love to help him relax!"

Cana motioned for Mira to come close before whispering something in her ear. Mira pulled back and widened her eyes before clasping her hands over her mouth. "I couldn't do that, Cana!" she exclaimed in a hushed voice.

"Of course you can!" Cana replied, jumping down from her stool and walking to the other side of the bar. "Don't act like some blushing virgin, Mira. I've seen you in those magazine shoots. I heard what you did to Lucy and Erza during the Penalty Games," Cana snickered.

Mira blushed so that her cheeks matched her dress. "But this is Laxus," she said, barely above a whisper.

Cana gave her a knowing smile before reaching out her hand, "All the more reason. Come on, babe. Let's go make his day."

Mira grasped Cana's hand and the two were about to turn towards the storage room before Mira pulled back. "Wait!" she said, breaking free. Cana turned to watch her friend reach under the bar and pull a double shot glass out from the counter. She filled it to the brim with a clear liquid before slamming it back. Smacking her lips together she turned back to the brunette before saying, "Now I'm ready!"

"Geez, Mira. Now you're turning _me_ on!" Cana laughed, as they turned for the storage room.

. . .

Laxus grumbled as he began searching through the unlit storage room. Mira hadn't given him any direction as to where this box was located and given the size of the storage room, it looked like it was going to take a while.

"I better just go ask her where it is," the man said to himself as he turned to exit the rom. As he turned to head towards the door, he heard two pairs of footsteps heading down the hallway.

"I don't know, Cana. Are you sure about this?" That was Mira's voice.

"Oh, I am one hundred percent all in, babe," Cana responded. "Trust me when I say, the man knows what he's doing."

Laxus heard Mira giggle softly and he internally wondered about whom they were speaking. "And how would you know?"

"Let's just say that I've had a taste and it was delicious. Come on, it'll be fun!"

Mira giggled again before replying, "Alright. You've convinced me."

Laxus was about to cross the threshold to the hallway when two hands pressed on his chest. He looked down to find that Mira and Cana had each pressed a hand to his upper body. "Need something ladies?" he asked in a perplexed voice.

He'd been around Cana enough times to know that look in her eye, but the two hadn't hooked up since he had returned to the Guild. His eyes darted back and forth between the brunette and the barmaid.

Surprising him, it was Mira who spoke. "Did you find that box, Laxus?" she said the words languidly.

Laxus widened his eyes before responding in a husked voice, "No. I was just about to come ask you where it was," he said carefully.

Cana's lips quirked into a smirk before she replied, "I bet we could find it faster if we worked together? What do you say Mira?" the brunette locked eyes with the barmaid.

Mira giggled softly before nodding her head. Laxus felt both women push their hands on his chest with greater force and he allowed the women to push him back so that he was leaning against the back shelves. As they walked through the door, Cana closed it shut with her foot before pulling a card out of her pocket. Holding the paper up to her lips she whispered something against it and the square lit up with a soft light. She let it fall to the floor, allowing it to illuminate the room softly before she sauntered over to where the other two were standing.

But Laxus didn't have much time to concentrate on what the brunette was doing because within seconds Mira had started to caress his face and his neck. He let out a soft moan while closing his eyes to her touch. He had always hoped that the model would notice him, but he wasn't going to make the first move. Ever since he was a teenager she'd always been on his mind. But the lightning mage still carried tremendous guilt over the fantasia incident and he didn't want to ruin her reputation by being seen with him. Still, a man could dream.

But this dream seemed so real and way too good to be true. Laxus felt Cana's touch against his arms and he opened his eyes in surprise before locking eyes with the brunette. He watched as the seductress grabbed Mira by the back of her neck and slowly brought her face closer and closer to her own. Laxus' breath hitched when Cana's lips brushed against Mira's all the while her eyes staying fixated on him.

"So what do you say, Laxus?" Cana whispered, letting her lips caress Mira's again. Mira sighed and closer her eyes, letting Cana take the lead. "Will you help us?"

The lightning mage couldn't help but feel his pants tighten uncomfortably as he watched the two women in front of him. "I must be dreaming," he thought to himself.

"Are you two serious?" he husked, clearing his throat. "There's no way," he thought. "This has got to be some sort of cruel prank."

In answer to his question, Cana pulled Mira flush against her body and fully pressed their lips together. The two women moaned sensually as their tongues invaded one another's mouths. Their hands moved across each other's bodies slowly and Laxus couldn't help the fact that his heart rate increased as it pumped blood south.

"Does that answer your question?" Cana replied after pulling back from the white-haired beauty.

"Come here," Laxus growled, grabbing both women by the waist and pulling them flush to either side of him. He turned to kiss Mira first as he felt Cana's hands begin to roam his body. Kissing Mira was everything he imagined it would be and more. Her lips were soft and as he swiped his tongue against the bottom of her lip, she opened her mouth to play with his tongue.

Very little blood was left for cognitive thought when Laxus felt Cana's hands travel south from his broad chest to rub against his manhood through his dark jeans.

He pulled away from Mira and turned his attention to the brunette, kissing her deeply. Cana's kisses weren't as slow and soft. They had a clear wild side to them as she nipped at his lips playfully.

Mira's hands replaced Cana's as she stroked the front of his body up and down in slow, sensual movements. Laxus pulled back from his kiss with Cana with a gasp when the vixen bit down hard on his lower lip. She smirked seeing his surprise before pulling back from him.

"Take off each other's clothes," he ordered the women. They both shared a saucy smile with one another before they took a step back. Cana grabbed Mira by the waist, pulling her in for another deep kiss. Laxus leaned back against the shelves for support as he ran a hand through his spiky locks. "This is fucking awesome," he thought to himself.

Cana was clearly in control as she reached her hands up to fondle Mira's large chest through her magenta dress. The barmaid gasped and tilted her head back, exposing her neck. Cana took full advantage, kissing and nipping her way down to her collarbone. Once there she turned to look at Laxus before she reached behind Mira's neck and slowly started to pull the zipper to her dress down.

With her other hand, Cana reached out and encouraged the model to touch her through her bustier. Laxus groaned at the sight of the two women touching each other so sensually before his eyes. After what seemed like an eternity, Mira's dress finally slid down her gorgeous body slowly before it pooled at her feet on the ground.

She was bare for Laxus to see other than a pair of very flimsy looking lace panties. The man rubbed himself through his jeans, trying to relieve some of the extreme tension that was happening in that area. Cana leaned in to Mira's ear and whispered something before she licked the outer shell. Laxus was too distracted by the scene in front of him to heighten his senses so he could hear what was said.

With blushed cheeks and a saucy smile, Mira locked eyes with Laxus before she slid her hands slowly to the back of Cana, unhooking the brunette's bra in the process. The top fell down to the floor to join Mira's dress and Cana quickly slid herself out of her capris before kicking them to the side.

"Fuck," Laxus said under his breath as he watched the two women push their oversized chests together sensually and kiss each other deeply. He watched intently as the two swirled their tongues for his viewing pleasure. Mira was starting to get feisty, her demonic side making a slight showing. She reached up and with rougher hands, began palming Cana's breasts.

Cana moaned at the feeling, arching her neck back before saying, "Oh yeah, babe. You make me so wet." Laxus watched as the brunette stepped her legs apart slightly and reached down to rub herself through her blue cotton thong.

Mira began to trail kisses and love bites down Cana's neck, slowly working her way towards her breasts. When she finally let her tongue circle around Cana's left nipple, the brunette let out a wanton moan. Without turning her head, Cana spoke, "Won't you join us, Laxus?"

Laxus was more than ready, pushing himself off the shelf. "Not uh uh," Mira's voice tisked, pulling away from Cana's chest, much to the brunette's dismay. Not until you shed some of that clothing.

The lightning man smirked, leaning back against the shelves with a cocky look before responding, "Why don't you ladies lend a hand." The two separated after sharing a lustful look and turned towards the blonde.

Laxus wasted no time in pulling Mira in to him by the waist and the barmaid reciprocated by letting her hands start to undo the buttons on his shirt. Laxus grabbed the back of her neck roughly, angling her face so he could attack her lips before moving to nip at her neck.

At the same time, Cana was kneeling down, undoing his belt buckle. He felt her pop the button and slide the zipper down on his jeans before he finally felt his legs being exposed to the air of the room. Kicking off his boots, he stepped out of his pants, kicking them to the other side of the room before he felt Cana's small hands rubbing the front of his boxer briefs.

He moaned against Mira's neck, which she was exposing to him by arching her back against the support of his hand. Once she had all the buttons undone on his shirt, he felt her trail her fingers along the expanse of his chest before she pulled the shirt down and off his body.

The man felt Cana's fingers start to slip under the band of his boxers and he realized that he needed to slow things down if he wanted to last longer than another sixty seconds. With swift movements, he grabbed Cana by the arm and pivoted so that both women were next to each other, backs pressed against the shelving.

With Cana to the left and Mira to his right, he brought his lips to Cana's right nipple and one hand to Mira's overflowing chest. Both women were moaning loudly as he played with their peaks. He switched his positions, tonguing Mira's supple mounds while twisting Cana's. The women's moans were getting louder and Laxus smirked against Mira's chest.

Standing up to his full height, he kissed each in turn before he turned them around, encouraging them both to bend over slightly for him. The man let himself appreciate the view for a few seconds—two of the hottest women in Fairy Tail, tits out and bent over just for him. Needless to say he was rock hard. The women shuddered as he finally allowed his large, calloused hand to caress against their skin over their panties. Mira's were hip huggers, covering a larger area but they were made of thin lace so he could see her perfect rear through them. She began to wiggle her ass in anticipation.

"Oh Laxus," she moaned, turning her head around to meet his gaze. "We've been so bad," she drawled, shaking her booty from side to side.

Ever since Laxus had seen what Mira did to Lucy and Erza during the Penalty Games, he figured she'd had this kink and he was more than happy to oblige her. He pulled his hand back and swiftly let it fall onto her right cheek with a smack.

"Don't forget about me, big boy," Cana slurred, popping her ass out a bit before Laxus gave her the same treatment.

"Again!" Mira exclaimed. Laxus rubbed his hand over his manhood, adjusting his massive erection before bringing his hand up to his mouth. Licking both palms he brought them down at the same time on both women's backsides resulting in their sensual moans.

The blonde mage knelt down, so he had a better view from ground zero. Slowly he reached up and at the same time, began to drag both women's panties down their legs. He allowed his rough fingers to trail down their skin, just barely making contact. Both of them shuddered and he looked up to see Mira grab Cana by the back of her neck and pull her in for a deep kiss before the two started their tongue play.

Laxus nearly came right then and there the site was just so erotic. "Bend over Mira," he growled. The white-haired model obliged without breaking her ministrations with the brunette. Laxus trailed his hands up each woman's thighs, feeling goosebumps form against their skin.

"Oh please, Laxus," Cana moaned, breaking free from Mira for just a moment. "We're both so wet for you."

A purr left Laxus chest at her words and he finally allowed his fingers to slide between each women's folds. Cana was right, the both of them were incredibly slick and he moaned at the feeling of their wet lips against his hands. He wanted better access and he wanted to see everything the women were doing. "Lay down," he ordered them roughly. Both women obliged, turning around and lying on top of the small pile of clothes next to one another.

"Keep kissing," Laxus husked once they were both settled. The women turned their heads to face one another and Laxus trailed his hands down their bodies. First caressing their necks, then spending extra time on their beautiful breasts before dragging his fingers down to their cores.

He could hear the women whimper against their kisses before he finally plunged his fingers into their depths. Both beauties broke their connection, gasping in concert at the invasion of their sacred space. Laxus growled as he felt their walls clench against his fingers. Slowly he began to pump them in rhythm with one another, letting his thumbs come up to caress their small bundle of nerves.

The blonde watched in delight as both women's breasts bounced in time with each of his movements. If he'd had enough brain cells to form a thought, the man would have wondered what he'd done right to deserve such a fucking awesome time.

But he was too caught up in the erotic scene in front of him. Cana was the first to show signs of her impending release. Withdrawing his fingers from Mira, he guided her head to Cana's chest. The white-haired maid began to tongue Cana's mounds, alternating between nipping lightly with her teeth and sucking as much as she could into her mouth.

Laxus replaced his thumb with his mouth, swirling his appendage around Cana's pearl. The woman's gasps were getting louder and she started sucking in small breaths. He could feel her body tensing beneath him as he kept up the pace of his fingers, in and out, in and out of her body.

Her scent was becoming so strong and he growled against her clit, sending vibrations straight into her core. That's all she needed to tip over the edge. It was too much, the feeling of Mira working her chest and the sight of Laxus in between her legs. She was surprised she lasted as long as she did before she climaxed. Waves of heat rolled through her body. Her thighs clenched and Laxus stopped his movements, pressing up into her g-spot while Mira left her breasts to suck at her neck.

Laxus groaned as the woman's walls pulsed around his fingers. When she finally came down from her high, he withdrew slowly as she lay there completely spent. "Come here, you," he growled at Mira, slowly climbing over her lithe form. The demon mage willingly laid herself down as Laxus pressed himself down onto her form.

He rocked himself against her body as Cana lay recovering next to them. She felt so amazing, her soft curves against his hard muscle was almost too much for him to bear. Before he came close to crossing that line, he forced himself off of her, moving down to hover above her sex. She propped herself up on her elbows, watching his movements intently.

He smiled before he inhaled her scent deeply. "I bet you taste as good as you smell, Mira," he husked. Mira couldn't take it. She reached down, running her fingers through his spiky locks and encouraging him down onto her. The powerhouse of a man obliged, licking her from top to bottom, side to side. With each lick he swirled his tongue around her pearl and within seconds she was arching her back and closing her eyes in euphoria. Laxus allowed his fingers to slip into her body slowly before he began a steady pace, fucking her with his large digits.

Cana had recovered enough to climb over to Mira and kiss her while palming her breasts. It wasn't long before Laxus felt Mira start to tense beneath him. Cana sensed it too and she started running her hands all along the woman's body. With a sharp inhale, Mira arched her back and climaxed. Laxus curled his fingers into her body as well, pressing against her g-spot while Cana cupped her breasts with her hands.

Mira felt such intense waves she'd never felt course through her. She'd always dreamed of experiencing Laxus and the man did not disappoint. He was truly a god.

When she finally pulsed the last of her release, Laxus sat back looking at both women with lazy smiles on their faces. He knew he was practically at his limit and he wanted his release. Sensing his tension, both women sat up and slowly crawled over to him. Cana let her hands fall to his chest as she pushed him back, encouraging him to lie back on the floor.

The man allowed himself to fall back and he groaned as he felt Mira slowly lower his briefs down his legs. His strong erection sprang free and the demon mage reached forward to grab it gently.

His breath hitched as she began pumping him slowly. "Fuck," he breathed as her rhythm steadied. Cana's lips descended on his and he returned her kiss before she trailed her wet tongue down his entire form to join Mira at his junction.

He couldn't help but look up to watch both women as they giggled around his manhood. The sight was something he never wanted to forget: his erection standing proud with both women smiling and kissing each other around it.

He reached his strong arms back so he could prop his head up to get a better view. Both women watched as his muscles bunched deliciously in his shoulders. "What is it you want, Laxus?" Cana asked with mirth in her eyes.

Laxus purred before saying, "I want you to suck me off."

Mira leaned forward with her tongue and licked him from balls to tip before responding, "with pleasure."

Laxus eyes rolled into the back of his head briefly as he watched Cana take all of him in her mouth. The two women alternated taking as much of him in as they could until he was finally at his limit. With lightning speed, he switched their positions so that both of them were lying sprawled out on the floor in front of him while he stood above them on his knees.

He pumped himself vigorously as he watched them lazily kiss and touch one another. Within seconds he was at his limit and both women pushed their chests together as he showered them with his essence.

The man nearly collapsed with exhaustion to lie on the floor. Both women shimmied so that one was on either side of him. He wrapped an arm around each of them, kissing them each on the tops of their heads as all three lay panting, catching their breath.


	28. The Mating Talk: Part 1

Makarov grumbled to himself as he began tearing into the new stack of letters Mira had previously placed on his desk for his review. "I swear these brats are so lucky I'm so soft hearted otherwise I'd do to their homes what they seem to love doing to others'," the short man said in jest.

"Complaints against Natsu, complaints against Erza, complaints about a fight between Natsu and Erza," he muttered as he read through the first few letters of the stack.

The next letter, however, was different. Inside the Master was surprised to find, not a complaint letter, but rather an intricately scripted—"This can't be right," the man said, turning to read the letter over again.

_Dearest Makarov,_

_I am writing to express my thanks to your Guild for your work against Sylph Labyrinth. This once illustrious Guild of treasure hunters has turned into nothing more than a group of thieves. They have taken from my citizens many precious items over the years and our police force has been hard pressed to stop them._

_It is my understanding that two of your children were able to recover a stolen artifact from one of my citizens and in the process, had three Guild members arrested._

_While this is no small feat, the trouble this "Guild" is causing continues. I am writing to ask your assistance in bringing them to heel for good._

_Considering my position, I would ask that this request be kept between us. While there is mounting evidence of Sylph Labyrinth's unlawful dealings, the Guild is still registered with our City and by law, the actions of its members cannot be imputed to the Guild itself without further proof of conspiracy._

_If you are amenable to an agreement, please send word directly to me through a protected line. Directions for ringing my personal lacrima are enclosed._

_Sincerely yours,_

_Alzena Alysia_

_Mayor of Oshibana_

A card slipped out of the envelope Makarov was holding, containing silvery print that in the right light allowed him to see a lacrima-number. Holding it up to the light, he quickly dialed the number into his own lacrima.

After a few rings, a beautiful face appeared on the other line. The woman was middle-aged but she wore her years well. Her hair was jet black and tied back in a tight bun. Soft bangs graced the top of her forehead and she smiled at the Guildmaster before pulling the dark, square glasses off her face, revealing beautiful green eyes.

"Master Makarov, I am so glad you got received my letter," she said in a strong, but gentle voice.

The older man blushed at her clear charm. "Are you kidding? This is the first letter of thanks I have ever gotten. I intend to keep it for all of my life!" Just as the words left his mouth, the letter on his desk burst into flames, curling in on itself before being reduced to ash. "No!" the Master yelled, helplessly attempting to put out the flames and put the letter back together. He sighed before looking into the lacrima, "You wouldn't happen to have a copy, would you?"

The woman lifted her hand and giggled behind it. "I'm afraid not, my dear sir. As I mentioned in my writing, evidence of any agreement between us cannot be allowed."

The white-haired man nodded his head in resignation before steering the conversation towards business. He allowed Alzena to brief him on the dealings of Sylph within her city and her request of Fairy Tail. Specifically, she asked if those originally responsible for the three members' capture could be assigned to the task. While she trusted the Guildmaster's judgment, she also remembered the destruction that a certain team had wrought upon her train station in the past.

"I think I can make that happen," the Guildmaster said to the enchanting woman. Her eyes glittered at his words as she gave her heartfelt thanks. "Now, would it be too much for an old geezer like me to ask such a beautiful woman like yourself out for dinner sometime?" Makarov grinned at the orb in front of him. The woman's face was kind before she responded, "Oh Master, while that does sound delightful, you'll remember that there cannot be any evidence of our dealings."

Once again, Makarov hung his head in resignation. "You wouldn't happen to have a copy would you? A sister perhaps?" The woman laughed heartily before they said their final goodbyes.

Makarov smiled to himself; pleased with the amount of suave he was sure he still had, even at his old age. Tapping his finger to his mouth he pondered, "I'm sure Gajeel would love a second chance at that Guild but I'm not sure about Levy." The man shrugged his shoulders, figuring he would leave it up to the pair to decide, before beginning the instantly sobering task of opening the rest of the complaint letters.

. . .

The bell for the car sounded and we both entered. Immediately upon stepping through the threshold I found myself being pinned by Gajeel's hulking frame. "Don't worry, Blue. In less than 60 seconds I'll have you screaming louder than both those two combined."

As I moaned into his kiss, I didn't doubt the truth of his statement for a second.

Upon entering my apartment, Gajeel was on me and it took all of my willpower to push him away and catch my breath. "Problem?" the man quirked an eyebrow at me before trying to close the distance between us again. His arms enveloped me and before I knew it, his tongue was invading my mouth once more. Again, I summoned my inner strength and pushed the man back hard, breathing heavily.

"Lay there," I directed him to the couch. He allowed me to lead him to the couch and he did sit, but the smirk on his face indicated that he was really more curious at what was about to happen than actually following my orders.

The man reached behind his head, cradling the back of his neck before kicking off his boots and lifting his feet to lounge himself on the sofa. He didn't say anything, he just gave me an interested look and I smiled back at him. "Just stay here like a good boy," I said in a saucy voice, bending just close enough to him so that when he tried to reach for me, I was able to dance away from him with a giggle.

"Not smart, Blue. I _love_ to hunt," he said with ferocity in his voice. I had to bite the inside of my mouth to stop the moan that crawled up my throat from his words.

"You'll get your prize soon enough. Good things come to those who wait," I replied before sashaying myself into the bedroom. Closing the door behind me, I turned the light on in my closet. I'd picked up a special number on one of my more recent shopping trips and I was just dying to wear it for Gajeel.

The moment I saw it, I knew it would have him absolutely drooling over me, just like I wanted. I'll admit, it was a pretty skimpy leather lingerie set and I surprised myself with even being able to face the clerk at the store to purchase it, but it was so Gajeel. I clipped the leather bra top behind my back before securing the attached studded collar around my neck. Slowly, I inched the bottom up over my thighs. There were cutouts on the side of the leather with little metal chains that stretched over the swell of my hips to fill the space.

I followed up with sheer thigh highs and spiky black pumps. I crossed the bathroom threshold and caught a look at myself in the mirror. _"I look fierce as hell,"_ I thought to myself, taking it all in.

Slowly, I eased the door to the main room open before stepping out to put myself on display. I heard Gajeel's breath hitch and I smirked inwardly. _"I can affect you just as much as you affect me, bad boy."_

In an instant he stood and was on me. I figured he must have shifted into his shadow form to cross the apartment so fast because it was all a blur to me. His kiss was consuming as his hands roamed on top of my body, taking in my look through touch.

All too quickly he pulled back. I tried to follow his lips with my own but he pushed against my shoulders lightly. He grabbed my hand and pulled me gently to follow him towards the couch. As we reached our destination, he let go of my fingers, letting himself fall back into the sofa's embrace. I tried to follow him but he shook his head. With his signature laugh he said, "Stand back. I want to see all of you."

My lips curled up into a smile before I stood up in front of him, letting him take me all in. "Turn around," he husked and I blushed furiously but complied. Twirling myself around slowly I popped my rear out the slightest before looking over my shoulder and giving him a pouty smile.

"Like what you see?" I whispered, knowing he could hear me. His throat cleared as he let out a low growl in agreement. "Then why don't you come over here and do something about it," I moaned the words lustfully.

"Come here," Gajeel said. His voice was so low and menacing as he gave me orders. I threw him a saucy smile before shaking my head from side to side. His movements tensed as he sat up on the couch, in more of a ready position. "Come here, Blue," he said again, this time slower.

I knew I was playing a dangerous game but it was so thrilling. "Make me," I mouthed the words to him. I was backing my way up towards the kitchen, putting myself further and further out of his reach.

He levied me with a hard stare before saying, "You know I will."

A mischievous smile came across my lips before I replied, "You know I love it," with a laugh. Those were the last words that were said before I felt his solid body pressing me against the wall. His lips were on mine and his tongue was pressing its way past my lips to explore the inside of my mouth. I opened willingly to the intrusion and moaned into his embrace.

My arms came up, allowing myself to feel every glorious inch of his immense biceps. His own hands began caressing my body, first grasping my hips as he ground himself against me, then sliding over my stomach to the underside of my breasts. I felt the muscles in his arms flex with his work and felt heat pool further in my core at the touch.

Gajeel's lips left mine and I nearly whimpered at the loss of contact before his hot breath was at my ear, "You look good enough to eat." My legs shook with the anticipation of his words and I watched as he dropped down to crouch in front of my petite form. I looked down into his piercing red eyes as he locked his gaze with mine. "Open wide, Blue," he husked and I nearly came right there on the spot from the shiver his words sent through my body.

I stepped my legs apart at his beckoning and gasped when I felt his tongue lick my junction over the leather. With his teeth he lightly grasped my flesh through the material, shaking his head back and forth. The feeling was new, intense and amazing. My fingers fell to his head, running through his wild mane as my head hit the back of the wall.

I felt his fingers slide against the material before finally putting it aside and what he did next had my eyes squeezing shut. He seemed insistent on tasting all of me and I wasn't going to stop him. I could feel pressure building in my core as his tongue swirled around my most sensitive part. I was near my end when he brought two fingers up and began pulsing them inside of me, curling them so they would hit that spot over and over again.

"Gajeel," I breathed his name. My legs were shaking and I felt like I was going to collapse any minute from the pleasure.

His head lifted and he husked the words against my skin, "Come for me Levy." And I did. My walls fluttered before finally squeezing his digits firm. Heat spread throughout my limbs as if trying to exit through my fingers and toes. I collapsed forward but he caught me and held me close to him as I rode the crashing waves in my body.

When I'd finally come down from my high, Gajeel pressed his body closer into mine, making it pretty obvious that he wasn't sated just yet. I let my hand fall down to caress him through his pants and he growled against my ear. Reaching my hands up I tugged at the front of his shirt and he allowed his arms to come forward so I could pull it from his body.

My hands were instantly on him again, gliding over all that glorious muscle. His chest was so broad and built. I felt like I could explore him for days and still not discover everything about him.

"Come on," I whispered against his lips and started walking backwards through the bathroom and towards the bedroom. But we didn't get very far before Gajeel linked his foot behind my leg, tripping me as I stepped backwards towards the bed. I gasped as I went down but his arms caught me before I hit the ground, lowering me gently to the floor.

He smirked down at me as he stood to his full height before saying, "Stay there." I laid back down looking up at him sensually while caressing my body. Gajeel couldn't seem to get his pants and boxers off faster given what I was doing. In a flash, his naked body was on me, pressing me into the carpet. He moved against my body, feeling up the sides of my curves, squeezing each breast in turn before he finally reached down to line himself up.

I pulled the material to the side for him and he thrust into me hard and suddenly. I grasped his shoulders as his mane caged me in shadows. It was all I could do to hold on, his pace was punishing and his thrusts were hard. My hands came up over my head to try and ground myself into the floor as I moaned his name.

His pace slowed, leaving me confused as he pulled out. Within a second he was flipping me over so that I was lying on top of him. I blushed at the new position as I pushed myself up using his chest. "Go on, Levy," he breathed. "I want to watch you fuck my cock."

His words had my walls clenching in anticipation and I reached down to line him up with my entrance. I slowly lowered myself onto him, experimenting with moving my hips the right way. His hands came up to guide my movements and before long, I was riding him off into the sunset. My hands pressed against his chest for support as I raised and lowered myself onto his rod. His hands seemed to love resting at the bottom of my ass cheeks and there were a few times where he stopped my movements, holding me steady so he could pound into me from below.

When my muscles felt like they were about to give out, Gajeel finally flipped us over. Straddling me, he encouraged me to bring my mouth to his cock, which I did with a smirk. Opening wide for him, he pumped himself vigorously before finally releasing so I could drink him down. I moaned around his cock when he finally let go, giving me the ability to suck him clean.

The man all but collapsed on the ground as I pulled myself close to him, letting him bring an arm around me to hug my side. "Fuck, Blue," he breathed.

"I thought that's what we just did," I quipped and he looked at me before closing his eyes and letting out his signature laugh.

"Damn right," he replied. When we'd finally caught our breaths, he pushed himself up, pulling me along with him. "Come on, let's rinse off and get something to eat."

"Sounds great," I responded, letting him pull me into the bathroom to shower off.

. . .

An hour later found us cuddled in bed with bellies full of Chinese take out. Gajeel was shirtless, in just a pair of briefs, aimlessly flipping through the channels while I rested against his side with my head on his chest.

"So," I hesitated with what I was about to say. The last time we had spoken about the subject, we were sort of interrupted and then we'd gotten into that lover's spat so I wasn't sure where we'd left things.

"What's on your mind, Blue?" Gajeel asked, keeping his eyes fixed to the television. I took a moment to glance at what he was watching. _"This Old House? Really?"_ I laughed internally.

"Well I was just wondering if you could explain a few more things about this whole mating concept?" I held my breath, expecting him to reject me. Instead, he flipped the TV off just as Tom was about to demonstrate how to lay a proper roofing shingle and turned to look at me with those piercing eyes of his.

"What is it you want to know?"

I shifted more to my side so I could comfortably lie down and speak with him. "There's nothing really on it in the library that I can find. What's the process like? Is it," I hesitated, "animalistic or something?"

Gajeel let out a booming laugh before hugging me closer to him. " _Extremely_ ," he whispered against my skin before nipping at it.

I gasped. "What does it involve? Does it involve biting?" I asked with wide eyes. "I mean I'll do it for you, whatever it is but it's a little overwhelming and all!" My mind was going a million miles per hour at this point.

"It sure does," Gajeel said in a sensual voice before sliding his body on top of mine. He lowered himself so he was whispering into my ear. "I can tell you all about it if you want." I looked up at him and nodded frantically.

He climbed off me before giving me a serious look. "It starts out with a very intricate mating ritual dance. I cannot show it to you. There is a hidden dragon's nest about a two days' hike from here where you might find information about it. It is extremely important that you learn the dance _exactly correctly._ If you do not, well, let's not go there."

I was starting to get really anxious and turned to reach over into my nightstand to grab pen and paper so I could take notes but Gajeel grabbed my wrist to stop me. "No," he said sternly. "None of this can _ever_ be written down or repeated. It is sacred Dragon Slayer hidden rituals."

I nodded slowly before setting the pen and paper down. He continued, "Once you have learned the dance and we perform it correctly together, my magic will see you as a worthy mate."

"Oh," I breathed a sigh of relief. "I guess learning a dance won't be too bad. I mean, it will be hard but I think I can handle it."

"That's not all," Gajeel spoke and my breath hitched. "Once my magic sees you as a worthy mate, it will force me to attack you to test your worth. It will drive me to attack and in order to overcome this drive, you will have to bite me here," he pointed to the nape of his neck.

 _"Okay, you can do this. Do not hyperventilate. Keep it under control. He's worth it."_ I tried to calm myself down.

"Is that it?" I asked timidly.

"No."

_"Of course not."_

"If you successfully mark me, I will at that time become so overwhelmed that I will take you there and then and my magic will impregnate you. I'd be ready to have quintuplets at the least." I looked closely at him and was starting to see his serious demeanor breaking.

I narrowed my eyes. "Quintuplets?"

He nodded before continuing. "Oh yes. Dragons did not have single births but rather gave birth to a litter." I kept my gaze on him and I could see the corners of his lips twitching.

"You're fucking with me!" I exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at him at which he burst out laughing.

"Gajeel!" I whined as he wiped tears of mirth from his face. "Not even funny!" I huffed.

"Oh but it was, it so was. Your face, Blue! It was priceless." He fell back on the bed in heaving fits of laughter and that was all the excuse I needed. I tackled him with my fingers then, tickling him in all of the most sensitive spots. I had discovered a little while back that the skin around his studs, if caressed just right, could be insanely ticklish for him.

"No! Stop!" he called out as I continued my tirade. I knew I wasn't going to win but it was fun to get some revenge on him anyways. When he finally got the leverage, he flipped us both over so that he was returning everything I put on him in kind. I laughed furiously, calling out his name to stop.

"Gajeel, I'm gonna pee!" I exclaimed before he finally pulled his fingers back. I drew in heavy breaths, trying to calm my body down but couldn't help having to dash up to the bathroom anyways. Gajeel's laugh followed me down the hallway and I turned around to stick my tongue out at him.

Feeling much more at ease, I returned to the bed, sitting up and leveled him with a hard glare. "Would you seriously tell me about the process now?"

"Okay. In all seriousness," he paused giving me a hard stare for a few seconds before continuing. "The only way to properly mate is by you giving me blowjobs on request for the next month strai-mmph."

Before he could finish what he was saying, I'd grabbed a pillow and smacked it right into his head. His dark hair messed to one side and I laughed at his look of shock.

"Oh now you've done it, Blue," he growled. "I'll just have to show you what Dragon mating is all about," he said as he climbed over my body, pressing himself down into me.

And as we lay there panting in a tangle of sweaty sheets, I mused that if mating was anything like sex with Gajeel, I'm pretty sure I was really going to enjoy it.

 


	29. The Mating Talk: Part 2

That morning found us sitting together at the breakfast table, silently munching on eggs and toast. I couldn't help but stare at the man in front of me as I reflected on everything we had been through in just a short time.

 _"And now we're seriously talking about mating. It just all seems so surreal."_ I secretly wished I could find some third party information regarding Dragon Slayer mating but despite my best efforts, I was coming up at a loss. There was a bit of information written down about _dragon_ mating, but nothing specifically on dragon _slayer_ mating. _"I suppose I shouldn't push it. Maybe he doesn't know all that much about it either. His father was a dragon after all, not a dragon slayer."_

Gajeel caught me staring at him and threw me a crooked grin. I giggled back at him before looking down bashfully at my plate.

We ate in comfortable silence for the next few minutes until Gajeel cleared his plate and downed the last of his juice, before pushing everything away from him to the center of the table before stretching his arms over his head.

He brought his hands back to clasp behind his head before kicking his chair back to balance on two legs while throwing his feet up on the edge of the sofa to the side of him. "Careful!" I gasped, realizing there's no way I'd be able to keep my balance in that position.

"Okay, mom," he said teasingly, before winking at me. I rolled my eyes at him before sticking my tongue out slightly.

"If your tongue's looking for something to do, I've got some ideas," he said with his signature laugh.

I smirked at him before quipping back, "My tongue only licks men who behave themselves."

Gajeel let the front two legs of his chair fall to the floor with a thump before he gave me a heavy stare. "Your tongue better not be licking any men but me," he said with almost a growl.

I furrowed my brow at him, trying to make sense of his sudden outburst before giving him a wide-eyed stare. "Gajeel, I was joking, clearly." My lips set into a thin line.

Gajeel shook his head briefly. His hand came up to scratch the back of his neck before he quietly said, "Sorry, I—I don't know what came over me."

"Do you think maybe we should talk—for real—about this whole mating thing?" I hazarded broaching the subject.

Gajeel got up quietly from his chair. I held my breath briefly, hoping I hadn't pushed him too far. But my fears were quickly put to rest when he walked over to me and pulled me from my chair. He led me over to the sofa where he laid back on it lengthways. He beckoned me to straddle him so I could face him.

I giggled before complying. His hands grabbed my rear, positioning me against his hips more comfortably and I laughed lightly at his obvious attempt to touch my backside (while secretly loving his attentions).

"Now that we're sufficiently comfortable," he threw me a cocky grin. "Ask away, Blue. I'm an open book."

I scoffed internally. _"Sure, Gajeel, an open book. He's certainly_ more _open than he has been, there's still so much mystery surrounding this man. It's like his entire essence truly does swirl with shadows."_

"Well," I hesitated. "I don't even know really where to start because I don't even know what I don't know," I said, throwing my hands in the air in exasperation.

Gajeel caught them on the way back down, bringing my fingers to his lips for a gentle kiss before cooing, "Shh, it's okay, Blue. Try not to get so flustered."

I breathed in a heavy sigh before steadying my gaze at him. "Okay, well, can you just start by telling me what you know?"

Gajeel turned to look to the side briefly, as if deep in thought, before turning to look back at me. "That's the thing. I don't really know too much about this whole process. It's more of an instinct thing, ya know? Like, after the S-class trials and spending that extra time with you, there was something deep inside me that just knew you were meant to be in my life."

My hands flew up to my chest and I heaved a breath. "Gajeel," I said his name lightly. "That's so endearing, I really don't know what to say."

"Ah, fuck," was his response. "I'm turning into a giant pussy."

I rolled my eyes. "Less endearing." He gave me a crooked smile.

"So you don't know anything about this process? How did you even know there was such a thing called mating then?" I followed up.

Gajeel rubbed the back of his neck. "Dad said something about it at one point. I was kinda young, so some of it didn't really click with me at the time but from what I remember, I'm certain he said something about how one day I would find the person I was meant to be with." He heaved a heavy sigh before continuing, "He said that no matter the circumstances, we would be drawn to each other."

I could clearly see something was wrong from his expression. My fingers came down to caress the side of his face and he relaxed into my touch. "What's wrong? You seem really tense."

He sighed again. "It's all starting to come back to me now. Fuck, Levy. I'm such an idiot."

His sudden outburst had me hitching my breath, but I continued to caress his face, trying to show him through touch that everything was okay.

"Dad gave me a warning, and I didn't understand it until now," he lamented. I waited patiently, not wanting to push what was clearly a difficult memory for him. "He warned me that with Dragons, the whole process was much more intense. That female dragons often rebuked their suitors and it was only through force that a male dragon could make a female submit." He closed his eyes before saying slowly, "Levy, he told me that if my magic worked the same way, I might be driven to the same lengths and that I could, in the process, hurt the person meant for me."

I didn't know exactly what to feel at this revelation. While I was certainly surprised, I never really saw the Phantom Lord Gajeel as the same person as the Fairy Tail Gajeel, if that even makes sense. "Gajeel," I said his name and waited until he finally opened his eyes to look at me. I could see that he was fighting back tears and it damn near broke my heart.

"I've moved on from that. I wish you could let yourself move on too," I said softly.

He held my gaze before saying, "But Levy, I hurt you and I could have stopped it. I should have known."

I lowered myself down so that my head was resting against his chest. I felt him wrap his arms tight against me. "It's okay, Gajeel." He shuddered at my words as he held me closer. I pushed myself up to look at him intently. "Promise me you'll try and let it go."

He nodded his head slightly before I leaned in to plant a chaste kiss against his lips. We laid in each other's embrace for another few minutes before I spoke up again. "Okay, so can you remember anything else your Dad told you about mating?"

Gajeel seemed to have recovered form his episode for the most part. "Well, Da' wasn't sure whether or not my magic would work the same way as the Dragons' but he said if it did, it was all about staying close to one another." He gave me a cocky grin before saying, "And the closer the better, if you know what I mean."

I batted playfully at his chest. "You are such a tease!"

He let out a laugh before saying, "I'm being serious, Blue! Gosh, you act like you don't like it and," he stopped and held my hips tight to his body as he ground himself up against me, "you and I both know better."

I let my head fall back as I hummed in approval at the contact. When I'd finally looked back at his cocky grin, I continued. "Alright, so what happens exactly when we spend more time together?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Not really sure. Dad wasn't a human so he didn't really know. In Dragon pairings he said they became stronger together, but he wasn't really sure about slayer pairings."

"How could he not know?" I mused out loud.

"Think about it. While the earliest dragons did grant their magic to humans, the humans used this power to nearly wipe them all out. I doubt they were sitting around having conversations about the inner workings of their love lives before they battled to the death," Gajeel reasoned.

I nodded my head at his logic. "Makes sense. I guess we'll just have to play it by ear then."

At my words he flipped me over and pushed himself into me. "Oh, I intend to play with much more." I giggled into his lips as he moved to kiss me.

. . .

"Mayor Alysia," the small assistant tapped timidly on the door to the Mayor's office before peaking her head inside.

"What is it, Sydney?" the Mayor sighed, looking up from her desk to level a harsh glare at her assistant. The girl was younger, perhaps in her young twenties, with bright copper-colored hair cut short. Her brown eyes widened and her cheeks blushed with embarrassment and nerves.

"It's Cindy, actually ma'am," the girl said meekly.

"Is that all you came in here to do, _Cindy_?" the Mayor seethed. "Tell me your name?" She slammed her pen down on the desk.

"No ma'am," the girl jumped, trying to hide herself into the door.

"Then _what_ _is it_?" The dark-haired woman said slowly, narrowing her eyes.

The girl cleared her throat before stammering out, "There's a visitor here to see you. A Rune Knight," she said quickly, before the Mayor could berate her for not speaking quicker.

"Let him in and then you and the staff may depart for the day," the Mayor directed her. Cindy nodded, bowing on her way out before showing the man into the Mayor's office.

As quietly as she could, she closed the door behind the pair and informed the rest of the staff they had the day off—Mayor's orders. Everyone in the office was used to this. The Mayor would get visitors from time to time and didn't want to be bothered, which resulted in them getting a hefty amount of early dismissals. If it weren't for this extra benefit, a lot of her staff would no doubt find employment elsewhere, given the difficult working conditions.

Back in the Mayor's office, a cloaked figure sat down in one of the larger leather chairs in front of the Mayor's large, mahogany desk. He wore the standard uniform of a low class Rune Knight, a pale green smock over billowing white pants and a maroon shirt. His chest was adorned with the crux ansata symbol for the Magic Council. However, a white cloak was clipped around his shoulders and a hood came up over his head, obscuring his face.

"I have to say," Alzena stood from her desk, giving the man a dark smile, "you certainly camouflage yourself well, Gran Doma."

At her words, the man lowered his hood to reveal the Chairman of the Magic Council. While his hairstyle and color had been changed to make him appear younger, a close inspection would reveal it was the very same man. His beady eyes carried a small deal of mirth as he looked over the powerful woman before him.

She truly was a sight to behold. Despite her slightly advanced age, she was incredibly fit. Her toned body was slightly tanned, contrasting nicely with her jet-black hair pulled tight into a bun and her vibrant green eyes. She wore a fitted blouse tucked into a high pencil skirt that was nearly painted on her.

"Did you bring me good news?" she said, sashaying her way over to the Chairman and sitting on her desk in front of him. She kicked off her heels and brought her feet to rest on top of one of his knees, enticingly.

"It wasn't easy getting that kid out of prison, Alzena. He better be worth it," Gran replied in a gravely voice.

The woman shifted herself forward, climbing over the man's form so that she was straddling one of his legs. She twirled the hair of the bottom of his beard in her hand gently. "It is," she said simply.

The stern-faced man grabbed the bottom of her chin firmly, guiding her face up so she would look at him. "He better not cause any problems that can be linked back to me." His eyes told her that he wasn't messing around.

Alzena's eyes twinkled before she smiled, full of fake charm. "You have my word, great Chairman. I can promise you no problems." She continued to play with his beard as he let go of her chin.

"My assistance isn't free," the man spoke in an even voice.

The woman threw her head back and laughed. She righted herself and gave him a playful smile before saying, "I know that," as she slid from his lap to in between his legs.

. . .

"What's got you in such a good mood," Gajeel laughed at me as we walked to the Guild. I couldn't deny having a pretty wide smile on my face the entire walk over.

I turned and gave him a playful glance, "Like you don't know."

"Oh, I know, I just want to hear you say it," he whispered against my ear after pulling me into his hulking form in the middle of the street. Passerbys glanced in our direction but I was too caught up in the man in front of me and thinking about the intensely naughty things we were doing before our walk to the Guild to even notice or care. My mind was still reeling from our activities earlier that morning.

_I could feel his body pressing me further into the couch as his hands came up underneath my slip to play with my soft mounds. I'd moaned into his touch and he worked me into a frenzy, had me nearly begging for release before he finally hoisted me onto his shoulder, walking me into the bedroom and roughly depositing me on the bed._

_I'd fully expected to be taken for another ride on my favorite Iron Rollercoaster but instead, Gajeel surprised me. Hovering over my form, he lifted my nightgown up and off my body. I reciprocated by pushing his briefs down as far as I could with my hands before bringing my feet up to push them down the rest of the way. The man kicked them to the floor somewhere before he was on me, pressing his form into mine._

_I reveled in the feel of his naked body sliding against mine. At any moment I expected him to spread me wide and take me, but instead, he rolled off me. "Slide down," he directed. I did as he said and my eyes widened as he reached across the bed and into my dresser drawer only to pull out one of my small vibrators._

_"Gajeel!" I exclaimed, turning myself over to give him a shocked look._

_He just smirked at me before turning the toy on and handing it to me. "Can't hide things from a slayer, babe," he laughed. "Now lie down and get to work," he growled._

_I won't deny that anytime he ordered me around, it got me instantly wet. I just loved his fierce tone and the way he told me what to do; I couldn't help the flood that always accompanied his orders._

_I closed my eyes, letting myself get lost in the strong vibrations at my core and loving the feeling of his eyes watching me. I reached a hand up to play with one of my own nipples but Gajeel took over the job for me. I gasped as I felt his tongue circle the hardened peak first clockwise then counterclockwise before sucking the mound into his mouth._

_I moaned his name and he growled, "Shit, Levy you're so hot when you pleasure yourself."_

_Breathing heavily, I managed to respond, "I like it more when you participate."_

_Gajeel chuckled deeply before his hot breath washed over my ear, "All things in good time. For now, I'm just enjoying the show."_

_But the show didn't last long, because the sight of me panting under my own ministrations must have gotten Gajeel so worked up that he finally jumped in. Positioning himself next to me, but slightly higher, I gasped as I felt him bring my head to his erect manhood. "Don't stop," he directed me when my movements below slowed. I was nearing my end and the feeling of him slowly pushing his staff into my mouth was almost too much to bear._

_I moaned around his erection and he threw his head back with my name and a curse. Before long he was pumping himself into my mouth with abandon while he palmed at my breasts. My cunt was throbbing, tightening my entire pelvic floor and I could feel my impending release._

_The feeling of it all was too much: strong vibrations on my clit, Gajeel's hands on my breasts twisting my peaks as he fucked my mouth. I crested as my muscles clenched tightly throughout my body. I tried to scream but my mouth was otherwise filled, resulting in a muffled noise. Sensing my release and nearly at his limit, Gajeel pumped into me a few more times before pushing himself deep into my throat and shooting his seed into me._

_I groaned at the feeling of him pulsing in my mouth mixed with my own body's pulsing. Finally coming down from my high and regaining my senses, I swirled my tongue around his shaft, wiping him clean before turning off the vibrator and throwing it over onto my nightstand._

_Gajeel reached down and hoisted me up so that I was lying against his body, both of us panting while enjoying the afterglow of our activities._

The Iron Slayer's signature laugh brought me out of my reverie. I looked up in a daze at him, still holding me in the middle of the street. "Glad to know I leave a lasting impression," the man drawled against my neck and I shuddered.

I breathed in his scent before swallowing thickly. "Lasting impression my ass, my throat's still sore!" I exclaimed into his chest.

His body heaved with his chuckling. "Hey, I can't help how powerful my di—" My hands came up to clamp over his mouth before he embarrassed us both in the middle of town.

"Gajeel!" I whined. "Shush up would you?" His eyes glinted mischievously before he licked the back of my hand, slowly. I pulled my fingers back, more in shock than for any other reason.

The slayer reached down to take my hand before saying, "Come on, Blue. Let's get to the Guild before I end up taking you back home for round two."

I wrenched my hand free from his grasp and started running in the direction of the Guild. "You'd have to catch me first!" I yelled over my shoulder.

I was too busy trying to run my fastest the short distance to the Guild to pay attention to how Gajeel let out a low growl before saying, "I fucking _love_ to hunt."


	30. Proper Positioning

I knew what I was doing was going to have consequences but being chased by Gajeel was one of the more thrilling experiences I'd ever had. The distance to the Guild wasn't too far and within a short time, I burst through the doors and ran through the great hall. Mira tried calling to me from the bar but all I could do was wave to her and shout, "I'm hiding from Gajeel! Don't tell him I'm here!"

The barmaid giggled behind her hand, nodding her agreement before I ran myself into the back hallway. _"A place to hide, a place to hide,"_ I thought to myself looking around. I vaguely remembered that this whole hide and seek stuff was what had started me and Gajeel off on this weird path we were on in the first place and I had to laugh to myself. _"I certainly know how to cause trouble,"_ I mused.

Looking quickly at the storeroom, I entered it and then exited, letting my scent fall back on itself. I knew Gajeel tracked by scent and I didn't want to make this little game too easy for him. _"There!"_ I saw it in front of me: the women's locker room. Gajeel would have to admit defeat since he couldn't enter and even if he did, I had an idea to get the upper hand.

Quickly entering the women's locker room, I ran to Lucy's locker and threw the door open. I grabbed her large bottle of strawberry perfume and sprayed a heavy dose of it right at the entrance. If Gajeel had the guts to walk into this room, he'd have way too much going on to be able to track my scent properly.

I stilled behind one of the showers, pulling the curtain shut and crouching on top of the pull down bench so my feet were hidden and waited. Within thirty seconds, I heard the door to the room open and I held my breath. I could tell by the heavy boots on the ground that it was Gajeel. _"The man's got guts,"_ I laughed to myself.

As he entered the room, Gajeel was accosted by the heavy perfume and let out a strangled grunt. Seizing my chance at his confusion, I leapt out from behind the curtain and jumped up onto his back. "I win!" I exclaimed, fisting my hands on his shoulders lightly while smiling widely.

Gajeel grabbed around himself, pulling me down before roughly slamming me against the shower wall. My breath left me momentarily and I looked up at him to see his eyes were narrowed and looking hungry.

"Gajeel?" I gave him a half smile. "You alright?"

He was breathing heavy and he started sniffing my neck and hair intensely. "I told you, Levy," he said roughly after nipping at the sensitive skin on my neck, causing me to gasp. "You shouldn't play hunting games with dragons."

"Yeah but I won," I managed to say through my moans as he kissed along my jawline.

"I don't think so," he growled, continuing his assault on my neck before moving to my lips. He stopped just before kissing me and said, "I still found you and now you're _mine_." As the words left his mouth, his lips dove in, kissing me intensely. His tongue was rough, pushing against my mouth until I opened my lips to the intrusion.

Pulling back all too soon, I tried to follow his lips with mine but he stopped me with a hand on my chest. With force, he turned me around quickly and placed my hands on the shower's support bar in front of me. His hand came up and firmly smacked my bottom and I gasped at the contact. I tried to turn around to look at him but he pushed my head into the side of the wall so I couldn't move.

His other hand touched me at the back of my thigh, slowly careening towards my weeping core before he finally started petting me there overtop my panties. Having just engaged in some play earlier, I hadn't anticipated him being there so soon so they were nothing special—just a simple pair of blue cotton but he didn't seem to care.

When he'd finally gotten my panties sufficiently soaked, he grabbed the hem of my orange dress and pulled so that my breasts sprang free. Reaching around me with one hand he began to palm them roughly. There was no romance in Gajeel's movements—they were rough, hard and dominating, and I loved it.

Without warning his fingers speared into my core and I screamed his name while arching my head back. He pumped me as he leaned over my back. "I'm going to fuck you now, Levy," he whispered against my ear, letting his heated breath send a shiver down my neck.

And fuck me he did. I heard his buckle drop behind me before he rammed himself swiftly into me. The intrusion was so fast and so deep, I nearly screamed. His movements were fast and with each thrust, he pushed me further and further into the tiled wall. I knew I should have been embarrassed or concerned, anyone could have walked in at that moment but I was so consumed by what was going on that I couldn't muster the energy to care.

Gajeel must have heard the door to the room open though because he loudly yelled, "Occupied!" without breaking his movements.

Cana's voice echoed over the tile, "Damn girl! Can't I watch a little?"

At this, I regained my senses a little and both Gajeel and I shouted in unison, "NO!" before Cana huffed and walked out of the room.

I knew I'd be mortified by what had just happened later but I didn't have time to think as Gajeel turned me around and pushed me against the wall. Using the support bar as a small seat, he held me there, thrusting up into me as I held on tight to his shoulders. His movements were unforgiving and my tits bounced into his chest with every deep thrust.

"Levy, tell me I can come," he growled against my ear.

I nodded my head as best I could before breathing out, "It's a safe day! Come inside me Gajeel!" As soon as the words left my mouth I felt his member pulsing against my walls. I was breathing heavily as his seed filled me up. His head dropped into the crook of my neck where he pressed small kisses against my heated flesh.

"You okay?" he whispered.

I sighed and nodded my head. "I'm fine," I breathed slowly.

He seemed a little uncertain. "Can I do anything for you?" With his words his hands came up to tweak one of my nipples. I giggled against his shoulder, biting the flesh there softly.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of Gajeel moving inside of me, I still felt satiated from that morning and didn't really feel like I needed another release. So I pressed a kiss to his shoulder before shaking my head slightly and saying, "I'm fine."

"Really?" he said questioningly. He caressed the underside of my breast and I shuddered. "I bet I could _make_ you go off if I wanted to," he growled.

I laughed quietly before responding, "I know you could, Gajeel but I'm still exhausted from this morning." At that, he shrugged his shoulders and gently pulled himself out of me. I gasped at the loss of contact as he slowly placed my feet on the floor.

This was the first time Gajeel's seed had ever been inside of me—any man's for that matter and it felt—different; like there was this very full feeling in my core. I had been following Porlyusica's directions and tracking my cycles like she had told me. I wasn't worried about a quintuplets situation because I had confirmed I'd ovulated five days ago so I knew I was safe.

Gajeel surprised me as his lips came down to press a chaste kiss against mine before pulling me against his firm body. "I should probably get out of the women's locker room," he laughed. I giggled along with him before telling him to go along while I cleaned up and I would meet him back in the main hall. Giving me one last kiss, he turned and exited the room while I used the bar behind me for support.

. . .

When I'd come back to the main hall, I saw Gajeel talking with Laxus at one of the tables. The Lightning Slayer was standing where Gajeel was seated at his favorite spot, both of them drinking a beer. _"Geez, guys. It's not even two o'clock yet!"_ I laughed to myself.

I walked over to where Gajeel was seated and gave Laxus a smile. He gave me a knowing smirk before saying, "Now that you two are done knocking boots, Gramps wants to talk to you about something."

I couldn't help the blush that took up residence on my face but Gajeel didn't seem fazed. "She's not wearing boots man," he said simply.

Laxus looked down at my feet before responding, "Yeah, but you are. Still works."

Gajeel stood up. "No it doesn't. Even if her legs were up over her head, which they weren't, she wasn't wearing boots. My boots got nothin' to do with it," he argued.

"Gajeel!" I exclaimed, trying to get him to shut up but he and Laxus seemed to have tunnel vision at this point.

"So what you're telling me is that there's no way that your boots could have touched while you two were in there," Laxus said, tapping Gajeel on the shoulder roughly.

Gajeel gave him a confused look. "No man. I don't know about you but when _I_ fuck, my feet are firmly planted. Gotta' use your legs."

"I'd argue that severely limits the positions you can use," Laxus said in a matter of fact tone. "If you require your feet to remain on the floor, you're ruling out at least the Downward Dog, the Shuttle, the Inquisitor, the Sideways Shuffle and potentially the Aquarius."

At just that moment, Lucy came over to stand next to me saying, "Was Laxus talking about one of my spirits?"

I looked at her with wide eyes before shaking my head and slowly saying, "No. I think he was referring to a sex position. Maybe?"

"Did someone say sex position?" yelled Cana from across the room before moving to join Lucy and me.

"I saw you on the iron tent pole, little miss," Cana said as she plopped down next to me, waggling her eyebrows.

I pointed my finger at her before saying, "We are NOT going to talk about that here."

Cana just laughed before huffing, "Fine, fine."

Lucy looked between Cana and me in curiosity before muttering "Iron tent pole?"

"Never mind that," I said to Lucy before turning my attention back to the now three men in front of me; Bickslow had joined in.

"The Inquisitor is one of my all time favorites. You really get the full story in that position," Bickslow grinned wide. "So what are we talking about?"

Laxus kept his eyes on Gajeel. "Gajeel's claiming that proper fucking requires having ones feet on the floor."

"What?!" Bickslow looked shocked. "Man, if you do that, how do you ever do the Tornado, the Basset Hound or the Waterfall?"

Cana leaned over to me before whispering, "Bixy is mad skilled at the Tornado." I didn't even know what that was but I still blushed.

"First off," Gajeel said standing to his full height, "a proper Basset Hound can be performed with planted feet and second, I wasn't saying that your feet _always_ have to be planted. Just for what we were doing: a proper Venus and Seesaw."

"Oh," both men looked relieved as their faces relaxed into understanding. "Well that makes more sense," Laxus said.

All I could do was stand there in complete shock. I knew they were referencing sex positions but _what?_ And should I be more offended that they were referring to our earlier coupling? I wasn't sure—this was all just too much.

I startled as I realized Cana was still talking next to me. "The Hill is _super_ tricky. He's the only guy that's been brave enough to try it with me. We're still working on getting it right though. But when you get extra flexible, you guys should definitely try the Ballerina. It's harder than the Dolphin but so worth it."

Lucy and I just looked at each other with wide eyes before bursting into fits of laughter.

. . .

A young man of average height and weight sat before the Mayor's desk. His shorter black hair was tied back into a ponytail and his matching black eyes narrowed as the Mayor came around to the front of her desk, seating herself before him. She was sporting a tight white blouse that stretched over her bosom enticingly and a navy blue pencil skirt.

The woman reached out to caress the piercing in the lobe of the young man's ear before saying softly, "I hope you enjoyed your time away, Kageyama."

Kageyama reached up to grab her hand and roughly threw it back down by her side. "Are you fucking kidding me, woman? That place was hell! Why the fuck didn't you get me out of there sooner?" he seethed. It had been his understanding when he joined Eisenwald that the Guild was working with someone higher up who could give them protection. Erigor had assured him that he wouldn't be at risk with the law.

"Oh, don't be like that," the woman cooed, running her hands through the back of his dark hair. "I did the best that I could, you know. It's not my fault you got yourself arrested by the Rune Knights. Favors with the Magic Council take a little extra time to organize." She tapped his lips at the last few words.

Despite his rage at what he saw as a betrayal, there was no denying that he wanted this woman. He had wanted her from the beginning but she had been messing around with Erigor and he wasn't going to tread on his terrain. But he had heard through rumors at the prison that his old leader had disappeared after another particularly rough encounter with those fucking fairies.

"Besides," she continued, "it was your own damn fault." Her voice remained sugary sweet despite her words. "If you and Erigor had followed the plan and not gotten overly zealous about your previous moron of a Guild Master, everything would have gone off fine," she said brushing strands of his hair back from his forehead.

"Those other Guild Masters imprisoned our Guild Master!" he was starting to get angry. "They deserved to be killed!"

Alzena scoffed at him. "A lot of good that did you. We had a buyer. You would have been sitting pretty in Akane Beach but you and Erigor's pride got in the way and fucked everything up!" the woman was starting to lose her composure and she knew it. She took a deep breath to calm herself. "No matter. Now that I've got you back and Sylph on board, I've got everything worked out."

Kageyama pushed her hand away. "I don't want money. I want revenge from those fucking fairies. They took everything from us and they deserve to pay."

"Oh, Kageyama. I thought that extra little time in prison would have made you realize that money is so much more satisfying than revenge," she drawled.

The man turned his head away from her. "It just gave me more time to get angry at them."

Alzena laughed and Kageyama turned his head back to say something but she shushed him up. "You are positively the cutest thing when you get angry." She gave him a knowing smirk before continuing. "What if I told you that my plans involve getting revenge on that little guild? Then would you be happy?"

"Are you serious?" the young man stood up, towering over the Mayor in her seated position. He brought himself close to her before breathing out, "Don't fuck with me about this."

The Mayor's eyes sparkled as she looked at him deviously. "I'm always serious, and" she grabbed the front of his shirt with two hands, bringing him forward so she could smash her lips against his before pulling back, "I'd _prefer_ to fuck with you about this."

Kageyama hesitated, a look of uncertainty coming across his face. "I thought you belonged to Erigor." It was a statement but said as a question.

Alzena pulled him close to her once more, caressing her lips against hers. "I don't _belong_ to anyone. Whom I choose to share my body with is my own business. And right now," she let her hand meander down the man's chest before groping the front of his trousers, "I'm feeling very generous."

The dark mage needed no encouragement. He had lusted after this woman for years and now here she was, offering herself to him freely. He'd be a fool not to take her up on her offer. Erigor had always spoken very highly of her company.

Pushing his lips against hers, the woman sighed into the man's embrace. It had been some time since she had been treated right. Erigor had been her last lover but he had disappeared after the Lullaby incident. She had heard that he had escaped from prison but instead of returning to her as she had expected, he had disappeared. She'd heard rumors that something had happened to him but the facts weren't all that clear.

For the meantime, she reveled in the feeling of the younger man's taught muscles against her skin. While she was not opposed to using her body to get what she needed from a man like Gran Doma, he was not a particularly attentive partner. He merely used her to satisfy his own desires and cared little for her own satisfaction.

She'd known that Kageyama had lusted after her for many years while she was sleeping with Erigor. From time to time she had considered inviting him to her bed but she didn't want to shake the fragile truce she had with the dark guild and its then leader.

With a swipe of his hand, Kageyama had cleared away anything sitting atop Alzena's desk. She didn't care; she would just have her staff put everything back as it was in the morning. Pushing her down onto the empty desk, he grabbed and pulled the front of her blouse apart, letting buttons fly throughout the room.

His hands came down atop her black lace bra and he teased her nipples through the material. The woman moaned, allowing herself to get caught up in her new lover's ministrations. His hands trailed down to her waist, before he finally pushing her skirt up to bunch it around her hips.

Swinging her legs onto his shoulders, he lowered himself in front of her, nipping at the inside of her thighs before finally pressing his lips to hers. Pulling aside her matching lace thong, he ran his tongue up her core, stopping to circle around her button at the top. She moaned as two of his fingers entered her, working her until she could feel her impending release.

Her hand fisted in his hair, keeping him between her legs when he tried to pull away. She wasn't going to let him get off before she got hers. When she finally crested, Kageyama stood up and quickly pulled his shirt over his head. She cracked her eyes open to watch as he dropped his pants as well. While he wasn't as tall as Erigor, he had certainly put on some muscle while he was in prison. "There must have been little else to do," she thought to herself.

But her internal monologue was quickly silenced when the man pushed his two fingers he had used below into her mouth, instructing her to clean them. She did one better, licking them clean before wrapping her legs around her hips and pulling his hips to hers, causing him to lean over her on the desk.

She reached around the back of his neck and began to kiss him lustfully, making sure to lick her release clean from his mouth, enjoying the taste of herself on his lips. The man ground himself against her core and she moaned, breaking their contact. She let herself fall back on the desk as he reached down to free himself from his briefs before lining himself up with her entrance.

With one swift motion he entered her, grabbing her legs underneath her knees and started a fast pace. It was clear he was in this for his release but she didn't mind. She allowed herself to get lost in the rhythm of him pounding into her. The feeling of a young, virile man touching her again was something she desperately needed.

Kageyama found his release quickly, pouring himself into her. After catching his breath and pulling out of her, he tucked himself back into his boxers before collapsing back into the chair, leaving her panting on the desk. "Are you on something?" he realized he should have asked that before he shot her up with his seed.

The Mayor sat up and began fixing her clothes. "Don't be stupid, of course I am," she scoffed.

"Good," was all the man managed to respond before letting his head fall back. He'd wanted this woman for so long, and now he'd had a taste and he wanted more. He sincerely hoped she would allow him into her again. Despite losing his close friend Erigor, he secretly hoped the man would not return so he could enjoy his own time with Alzena.

Kageyama gave her a curious glance as he took the card the woman was holding in front of him. "Be at that address tomorrow evening at ten. Don't be late," she said. The mage looked at the card, flipping it over. It was just a small business card with an address written on it. He nodded, tucking it into his pocket as he began to pull his trousers back on.

He gave her a crooked smile as she shed her ruined blouse and reached into one of her desk drawers for another. "You're incredible, you know that?"

She looked at him curiously before responding, "I know that. And you don't have to try and flatter your way back into my bed. I intend to enjoy you for some time yet."

The young man tried to play it cool and hide his smile. He wasn't sure how well it worked, though. The mayor regarded him for another moment as they both buttoned their shirts. "Right, well. I trust you can see yourself out?"

Kageyama strode right up to the Mayor. Reaching behind the small of her back and neck, he pulled her in for a long kiss, allowing his lips to move against hers, before pulling back to say, "Yeah. I'll see myself out." He walked out of her office without a glance back.

. . .

Gajeel and I found ourselves seated in front of the master, waiting for him to finish signing some apology letters before finally turning his attention to us. "Children, I have received a very special job request and I was wondering if the two of you might be interested in taking it on."

Gajeel shrugged his shoulders and replied, "What's the job."

Makarov looked at Gajeel first, "I trust you remember the Sylph Labyrinth treasure hunting guild?"

Gajeel audibly growled. "Like I could fucking forget what they did," he said under his breath.

"Yes, well," Makarov continued, "it appears they've been causing some problems for the citizens in Oshibana. I've been contacted by their Mayor to see if Fairy Tail can assist in bringing them within the confines of the law. She specifically requested you two, since you were so successful before."

I was somewhat taken back. "The Mayor herself requested this? It's a legal guild—wouldn't the town's police force be the proper authorities to handle this?"

Makarov hopped up onto his desk to sit cross-legged before addressing me. "Unfortunately for the Mayor, the police have not been able to prove it's a guild-wide effort. Only individuals have been caught, like the three that you took care of. She's asking that you first investigate and attempt to link these crimes back to the guild so that the guild might be properly disciplined or disbanded."

"It's pretty unusual for a public official to seek help like this," Gajeel replied, narrowing his eyes. I nodded my head in agreement.

"Yes, well. It appears she is out of options and faces unrest in her city if she does not do something. She has asked that we keep this request confidential," Makarov informed us.

Gajeel looked at me. "What do you think, Blue? You up for a little payback?"

I hesitated. While Gajeel had done his best to build up my confidence about my fighting skills, I still had doubts about myself after being captured so easily by the silver-haired man. I looked at Gajeel's intense red stare. He looked so confident, it gave me the push I needed. I nodded my head in agreement. "Yeah, yes! Let's do it," I said, repeating myself in my attempt to sound convincing.

Gajeel's eyes narrowed slightly, as if he knew exactly what I was thinking, but he let it go. He turned back to the Master and said, "Well, looks like you got your answer. What's the next step?"

Makarov smiled before briefing us on how to go about meeting the Mayor in one week's time.

 


	31. Punishment

A brief time later found Gajeel and I walking down the stairs from the master's office back to the rowdy guildhall. The Iron slayer pulled me into his favorite corner table. By the looks of it, Gray and Natsu had just started a brawl and I was happy to be out of the way of that clusterfuck.

I moved to sit on the opposite side of the table but Gajeel grunted, grabbing me by the wrist and pulling me around to his side. A small smile made its way across my face. I really did love the man's possessive nature. It made me feel safe and wanted.

Sitting between his legs and snuggling into his broad chest, I sighed in contentment. "We've got a week until we have to leave. I wonder if I should take a translation job in the meantime. Something easy that I can get done quickly," I mused.

Gajeel grunted before saying, "I was kinda thinkin' maybe you'd use the time to move into my place, if that's still something you wanna do." It was a statement but I heard the faintest quiver in his voice.

A turned to look at him, giving him a heartfelt smile before lunging forward with my arms to give him a large hug. He made a surprised sound as I squeezed him while burying my head into his chest. "Of course I do, you big lunk!" I laughed. He gave me a genuine smile in return—something a little out of the ordinary for the hulking man. "Although," I continued, watching his smile falter slightly, "your place is pretty far from the guild. You sure you don't wanna move to my place?"

In all honesty, I didn't care where we lived. Magnolia wasn't all that large and both apartments were close to things we needed on a regular basis. Gajeel tapped his lips with his fingers, as if deep in thought. "I dunno," he mused. "Would be pretty inconsiderate of me to make Lily move."

"Oh my gosh, Gajeel!" I exclaimed. "Lily! Did you ask him if he'll be alright with this? It's his home too, you know!"

Gajeel ruffled my hair affectionately as I stuck my tongue out at him. "Relax, Blue. I spoke with him about it earlier. He's cool."

I crossed my arms across my chest before saying, "Well, alright. But I think I would feel better if I asked him myself."

The studded man merely shrugged his shoulders. "Suit yourself," he said flatly.

I scanned my eyes across the guildhall, looking for the little cat but all I saw was Erza leaving her seat to smack some sense into the fire and ice duo. I laughed internally, figuring I would find the exceed later. As my eyes continued to move about the room, Lucy's gaze met mine from the other side of the hall. She quirked an eyebrow up at me and I held up a finger, indicating for her to wait one minute.

I turned back to Gajeel before saying, "I'm gonna go talk to Lu for a bit, I've got a question to ask her."

"Alright, Blue. I'll be over by the board. I think I might try and take another job before we head out next week," the man said, casting his gaze towards where Nab was standing.

I nodded, kissing him lightly on the lips before turning and walking towards Lucy. I could feel his gaze on me as I strode across the hall and I won't lie and tell you that I didn't sway my hips just a fraction of an inch more than usual.

She smiled at me as I sat down across from her. She was happily sipping on a strawberry milkshake. _"This girl and strawberries,"_ I laughed to myself. "What's got you in such a cheery mood?" I inquired.

Her brown eyes widened and she lifted her head up from her milkshake abruptly, accidentally spilling some of its contents out of the straw. Dropping the plastic piece back into the cup, she laughed before saying, "I don't know what you're talking about," while cleaning up the mess.

I rolled my eyes. Something was up with this girl and I had a weird feeling it had to do with Natsu, but I wouldn't press her if she wasn't ready to spill. "Okay, Lu," I smiled. "Hey, I wanted to ask a favor."

She finished up cleaning the table, tossing the dirtied napkins into the nearby trashcan before responding, "What's up?"

"I was wondering if I could hire Virgo for a job." The girl looked a little taken aback.

She gave me a coy smile. "What would you need Virgo for?"

"Well," I hesitated. "I'm gonna be moving into Gajeel's place soon and instead of hiring movers, I thought, maybe I could hire Virgo since she's so amazing with packing and stuff."

I half expected that Lucy might make a big deal of the whole thing, maybe squeal and dance up and down like she always does, but she remained pretty cool and collected. She took my hands across the table from me and said, "Levy, I am so happy for you two!" while giving me a big smile. I returned her gesture, feeling lucky to have such a great friend. Taking her hands back and continuing to work on her milkshake she said, "I don't know if you can hire Virgo but we can certainly ask her!"

I nodded my head enthusiastically. Lucy was about to pull out Virgo's key, but as she did, Gajeel came up to our table. Clearing his throat, I turned to him as he started speaking. "Found a job that will last a few days but Lily and I got to head out now in order to take it. You cool with that?" I felt a little lightheaded by the question. _"Gajeel? Asking me permission to go out on a job? It's really not like him to ask permission of anyone for anything!"_

I nodded my head and gave him a smile. "Of course!"

He leaned down and captured my lips for a chaste kiss before standing back up to his full height and grunting, "Later bunny girl," at Lucy.

Lucy just rolled her eyes. "Erza's the one who has the serious bunny costume. Why am I bunny girl?"

I shook my head with a small laugh. "I don't know, Lu. I just don't know."

I watched as Gajeel's hulking frame walked through the front doors of the guild before turning back to my friend, who was giving me a sly smile. I shook my head from side to side to clear the blush on my cheeks before saying, "Okay. Let's see if Virgo is up for a job!"

"Right!" Lucy said, pulling out her key. "Open, Gate of the Maiden," she said clearly as Virgo appeared.

As always, the pink haired maid bowed, asking, "Punishment, Princess?" she cast her gaze towards me before adding, "I would be okay if your friend participated."

I blanched as Lucy's face lit the color of her strawberry drink. "No, no, Virgo. No punishment. But actually, my friend Levy would like to ask you something."

The maiden stood up and cast her eyes on me. "Punishment?"

My eyes widened before I spread my fingers wide in front of my face. "No, Virgo. No! Gosh we barely know each other!" I was mumbling and becoming flustered. I took a deep breath before saying, "Virgo, I was wondering if I could hire you for a job?"

The maid bowed to me before standing up and saying, "I would be happy to assist any friend of my Princess. What is it you need done?"

"That is very kind of you, Virgo. I am was hoping you would assist me in moving my belongings to Gajeel's apartment."

"All of your belongings?" the maid clarified.

I smiled and nodded, "Yes, all of my belongings."

Without another word, Virgo disappeared in a puff of pink smoke. I looked at Lucy for an explanation but she just shrugged her shoulders, as confused as I was. Within the next sixty seconds, the maid reappeared, bowing low to first Lucy, then to me. Standing up she said, "Your request has been fulfilled. Is there anything else you require of me?"

Lucy and I looked at each other before we looked up at Virgo. "Come again?" I said.

Virgo gave me a steady gaze, "Your belongings, all of them, have been packed, moved and unpacked in the Iron Dragon Slayer's apartment. Is that not what you requested?"

I was completely dumbstruck. "Uh, it was but," I couldn't manage to put words together.

"Oh, I assume you are wondering what I did with the extra furniture that did not fit. Yes, I have placed it in one of the Guild's storage units. But there wasn't much, just your bed, actually," the maid replied calmly.

I looked at Lucy and she just shook her head at me, clearly as amazed as I was. We'd both known that Virgo worked fast but this was insane! "Well, thank you, Virgo," I said once I was finally able to put my thoughts together. "I would like to pay you somehow. Is there something you would like here in Magnolia? Or I'd be happy to give you jewel so you could buy yourself something."

"Oh, no. I do not need anything," she replied.

"I know you don't _need_ anything, Virgo, but isn't there something you _want?_ " I responded.

The pink haired woman nodded fervently. "Oh yes, very much so!"

"Great!" I exclaimed. "What is it?"

"To be punished by my Princess." Lucy and I both deadpanned.

"Virgo," I said slowly. "That's not something from me. Perhaps you can think of something you'd like from me as payment for your help?" _"Please don't say punishment, please don't say punishment,"_ I internally chanted.

The maid looked up, as if in thought. "Well, I suppose if the Princess punished you, and then you punished me, it would almost be like getting punished by the Princess."

I sighed, "Lu? You up for this?"

She rolled her eyes. "Come here," she said and I sat next to her on the bench where she was patting her hand. As soon as I sat down, she slapped me lightly on the cheek before giggling.

I gestured towards Virgo, who was looking far too entranced with what just happened. The maiden took shaky steps towards me and I raised my hand to her, putting just enough force behind it, because deep down I knew that's what she really wanted. The woman started panting and for a moment I thought I'd actually hurt her. "Oh, no, Virgo! Are you okay?" I exclaimed.

"Oh, _yes!_ " she nearly screamed. "If you will excuse me, I must return to the spirit world. I believe I have become too excited." A puff of pink smoke appeared after she said her last words and Lucy and I were left sitting there, completely in shock.

As we sat there, a smirking Laxus passed our table. Leaning down a little over us he said, "That was kinda hot," before continuing over to the bar to order a drink from Mira.

Lucy was the first to break out of her reverie and start giggling madly. I quickly followed suit. We fell over each other in our fits of laughter for a good couple of minutes before I suddenly sat up and said, "Oh my god, Lucy!"

"What?" she exclaimed in worry.

"Gajeel's gonna freak!" I said with wide eyes. Lucy just looked at me before bursting out into heaves of laughter again.

. . .

The strong brunette sighed as she kicked her heels off as she entered her home for the evening. Pulling her hair out of its tight bun was almost as good a release as Kageyama was earlier.

Walking upstairs to her bedroom, she allowed her clothes to fall from her body as she made her way to the shower. The woman was feeling rather pleased with herself. Everything was falling perfectly into place. She had both Gran Doma and Kageyama completely on board with her plan and she was at the center of it all.

In just one week, she'd have delivered to Sylph the people who took out three of their top members, squarely placing them in her debt, allowing her to double cross Gran Doma and expose his corrupt ways, clearly vaulting her into a higher position. And the best part of all of it was that she had a new young man to entertain her.

She yearned for more power. Being Mayor was alright but at the end of the day, she felt like the position was beneath her. She wanted so much more for herself and she was going to take what she deserved.

She stood, bared before the mirror as the water to the shower heated. She smiled at her reflection, satisfied with her appearance even though some might say she was past her prime. People could say all the nasty things they wanted to say but at the end of the day, no one can take away your confidence unless you let them.

A loud buzzing noise came from her bedroom, signaling she was receiving a call. She bristled, being broken out of her routine before reaching across the bed for the small orb. "Yes?" she said as sweetly as possible as Gran Doma's face appeared. He smiled, clearly taking in her lack of clothing before clearing his throat.

"Is everything moving according to plan, my dear?" She did her best to not roll her eyes. This man truly irked her. He was always calling, always checking in on things. He trusted no one and as a result, no one trusted him.

"Absolutely," she replied calmly. "You have nothing to worry about."

The man scoffed. "Why don't you worry about keeping things together and I'll decide what I concentrate on, got it?" he retorted rather harshly.

She bit the inside of her lip. She couldn't wait to bring this man down. "Of course," was her sugared reply.

"I'll be stopping by your office tomorrow afternoon. Make sure your staff is gone," he said before clicking the conversation off.

It took all her effort not to throw the orb against the wall and watch it shatter. The way that man demanded things of her really got to her. She understood it was the game they played but she hated giving up such control to someone like him.

Looking briefly at the device, she dialed Kageyama's number. His handsome features appeared almost immediately. "You've got fifteen minutes to get over to my place," she told him, reciting her address. He smirked and was about to say something but she hung up the call.

She sighed as she turned off the water to her unused shower. No point in getting clean now. She needed to feel like she was in control of things again and she knew she was going to need a shower when she was through with him.

 


	32. Heartstrings

Originally, when the young man answered his lacrima phone, only to hear the Mayor's voice, he thought for sure something had gone wrong. Yet, when he opened his eyes to look at her, he could tell that she was craving him. It was a huge ego boost for the man.

He'd always been the underdog in Eisenwald. Erigor was clearly their leader but beyond him, few paid attention to Kageyama and the young man knew it. It was why he had worked so tirelessly to enhance his own magic abilities, perfecting his shadow magic. But even that had gone unnoticed and unappreciated—even to the point where his guildmates would rather sacrifice him with a knife to his back than sacrifice the already fucked up plan.

The black haired man bristled at the memory of feeling the knife enter him before turning around to see Karacka. He had always thought of that man as a friend—if such a thing existed in a dark guild—and even though he had apologized profusely, Kageyama still carried the betrayal deep within his heart. Sure, he'd told that crazy redhead he'd take down the wind barrier when she'd held her sword to his throat but he wasn't actually going to do it. Did his guildmates really think he was that weak?

"Or perhaps they were just tying up loose ends," he thought bitterly. Well, if Erigor ever did return he'd show them just how loose he'd become. He hadn't sat idly by during that time in prison. While his magic was restricted, he worked his body, improving his physical and mental stamina, and when finally released, his magic showed the results. He was never going to be at the mercy of another wizard again.

His mind cleared as he approached the Mayor's home. He'd been slightly pleased when she'd given him the address, but tried not to let it affect him too much. Yes, he'd pined after this woman for years, but at the end of the day, he knew the score.

Before he raised his hand to knock, the door swung open and he was pulled inside by his collar roughly. The mayor stood before him, in nothing but a slinky short robe. Kageyama didn't bother looking around what he knew was likely a large home; he was concentrating on the woman before him. Her dark hair was pulled back in a messy bun while her bangs were pushed slightly off to the side. Her robe slid open to reveal the tops of what he personally knew to be perky breasts dotted with rose tips. His eyes continued to travel down over her black satin robe, before her voice interrupted his thoughts. "Are you just going to stand there all evening?" It was said with just a hint of frustration.

Kageyama smirked before he lunged forward to grab the woman roughly by her wrist. Turning her, he threw her harshly into the front door, pressing his body up on hers. His mouth was up against her ear in an instant and his breath was hot as he drawled, "You talk a big talk, Alzena. All strength and power. But I know deep down what you really want is for someone to make you feel like the woman you are."

The mayor tried not to let his words affect her. She tried to deny the throbbing that started deep in her core and the wetting sensation she was feeling in the area. But as his lips caressed up the side of her neck and across her jawline, she let out a whimper that confirmed everything he had just said.

Her hands came up to grab his hair firmly as she tried to separate them; tried to desperately gain back some of the control he was tearing away from her. This wasn't how this evening was supposed to go. She was supposed to use him and he was supposed to let her.

But that's not what he was doing at all. He grabbed her hand roughly, slamming it back down to her side and holding it there. "Come on, Alzena, relax. Let me treat you the way you deserve to be treated." Her breath hitched at the sound of her name on his lips but she gave up the fight, allowing herself to be pulled into a fierce kiss as the man's lips descended upon her own. He pressed his body roughly into her, bringing his hands up to palm at her breasts over her smooth robe.

"Where's the bedroom?" he husked as he tugged playfully at her earlobe.

"What?" the woman moaned. "No, not my bedroom."

"Guess we'll just have to find it the old fashioned way," Kageyama said before leaning down and throwing the woman over his shoulder. She tried to fight against him but the man really had increased in muscle and stamina since she'd last seen him. As he started walking up the stairs, she allowed herself to appreciate his broad shoulders.

She smirked as the man began kicking open doors throughout the hallway, looking for her master suite. He might be trying to wrench control from her, but she vowed she was going to give him a run for his money. "Let's see what this man is all about after all," she thought to herself.

The man in question finally found the room he was after. He knew it when he saw it: dark grey walls, a red bedspread and slick black furniture. It was definitely her room, he could feel it. Kicking open the door, he hauled her up and over his shoulder before throwing her roughly on her own bed. She bounced slightly when she made contact before she propped herself up on her elbows. She watched as the man began to undress himself before her. He seemed in a hurry and she desperately wanted him to slow down so she could enjoy the show.

"Slower," she demanded of him as he began to discard clothing to the floor. A look of shock ran over his face before it turned to excitement. He slowed his movements, allowing his clothes to drip off his body as the woman before him appreciated his form. In all of the women he'd ever been with, none of them had shown as much interest in him as this one. Try as she might to hide it, he could sense it from her and he was reveling in the feeling of feeling wanted—something that had been missing in his life for so long.

When he'd finally bared himself to her, she wagged a finger for him to come back to the bed. She surprised herself at her willingness to allow him into her bedroom like this, but the way he looked at her—with actual want and lust—was making her strangely okay with it all.

Kageyama did as she asked. The muscles of his shoulders bunched deliciously as he climbed over her form on the bed. She looked down to see his already erect manhood standing ready for her attention. As he crawled over to her, he allowed his hand to caress up the length of her leg before stopping just before her junction. She shivered in anticipation and in disappointment when he hand lifted to tug at the flimsy tie holding her robe closed.

"It's only fair," he said with a coy smile before pulling one cord, allowing the robe to fall open, revealing her full form. Kageyama stilled his movements briefly, letting himself appreciate the sight before his eyes. Her nipples stood erect against her sun kissed skin, contrasting beautifully against her midnight black hair.

He couldn't help himself, he entered her almost immediately and without warning. "I have to have you," he breathed out as he pushed into her. Her walls fluttered around his member at the sudden intrusion and she breathed harshly as he took her. Her arms came up to circle around his strong shoulders and she indulged herself as she nipped lightly at the skin there in between her moans.

With each rock she felt her arousal grow, even though she tried to push it down. This night was supposed to be about her dominating him, and here he was, taking her like he owned her, and she wasn't even putting up a fight. But how could she? His rhythm had become so smooth against her. With each thrust, her nipples grazed his hardened chest and with each withdrawal, she could feel her body desperately try to pull him back in.

"I'm close," she moaned and her words interrupted the man's own reverie. He pulled out of her swiftly, his fingers replacing his member as he latched onto one of her peaks, nibbling lightly, encouraging her to finish. Her hands grasped his dark hair and he curled his finger slightly inside of her, smiling when she climaxed as a result. Her walls pulsed against his fingers and he stilled his tongue so as not to distract her from the waves of pleasure rolling through her body.

When she had come down from her high, he was all but at his limit. Crawling forward, he straddled her just below her face. His hand came around the back of her neck, lifting her so that she would put her lips to his member. After a few pumps he came himself, engraining the image of this woman's lips around his cock, still in her own orgasmic daze as she drank down his seed.

He collapsed next to her, the both of them breathing hard. He turned his head to look at the woman, still trembling slightly from their activities. Kageyama was feeling dangerously attached to this woman already; something of which he knew he was going to have to be careful.

Alzena could feel his eyes on her but she willed herself not to meet his gaze. She couldn't afford to get attached to this man, no matter what he made her feel. She had to be ruthless and powerful if she wanted to get what she deserved in this life and she knew that this man had the potential to break down the barriers she had so expertly crafted over the years.

. . .

Levy sat in the guild library, attempting to concentrate on the translation work in front of her without much success. She had little choice to go back to Gajeel's place each evening to sleep but something about it still felt odd. All her stuff being there, but without having had the chance for the two of them to share the place together, it felt a little bit like she was invading his space. She knew it was crazy but she'd be glad when Gajeel and Lily were back from their job.

He'd said it would only be a couple days and they'd already been gone for two nights. She had really been hoping she could get through this last assignment for the Council before he returned home and they set off to Oshibana. Her mind had other priorities, though.

Ever since their one talk about mating, not much else had been said on the subject. She had come to the conclusion that Gajeel had told her all he knew and that some of it was difficult for him to speak about given their past, so she let it go. She didn't want to upset him, since, despite his outward appearance, he was actually pretty fragile on the inside.

She'd combed over all the books in the library, trying desperately to find something on the subject but there was nothing. She let out a loud groan before unceremoniously flopping her head down into the book in front of her.

"Whoa, easy there!" a voice from the other side of the room exclaimed. The bluenette looked up to see Bickslow. He wasn't wearing his visor and by the looks of it he had just come from the gym.

"Sorry," Levy said, straightening herself back up. She smiled up at the goofy mage. Just his presence had a way of lightening the mood of any room.

"So what's got you in the dumps?" he asked, plopping himself on a stool on the other side of her table.

Not wanting to share intimate details about her and Gajeel's love life, she tried to brush off the question. "Oh, just struggling over this translation. No big," she said, trying to give him a genuine smile.

He gave her a straight face. "Even without my magic, I'd still know you were lying. You've never been stumped by a translation. Not even Freed can match your skills in that arena," the man pointed out.

Levy pursed her lips to the side. "Damn," she said and Bickslow laughed, letting his tongue loll out.

"Come on! Tell Bixy what's the matter!" he said with a glint in his eye.

She had this weird feeling that he already knew somehow what was bothering her. "No use hiding things from you, huh, Bix?" she said.

"Now you're seeing reason!" he exclaimed.

She sighed, bracing herself for sharing something so intimate. "I've been trying to find information on Dragon Slayer mating. Gajeel said Metalicana had explained that Dragons mate, but didn't know how it worked in Slayers. He's noticed a few things that seem to line up but other than that, we're both at a loss and I kind of hate not knowing what to expect, you know?" She'd spilled it all so fast. She looked up at the mohawked man, fully expecting him to be uncomfortable, but quite the opposite. He had a caring look on his face.

"I can't tell you for sure anything about Dragon Slayer magic, but what I _can_ tell you is what I see, in _here_." As he said the words, he hit himself in the chest twice with his fist. "And from what I've seen of you and the Iron Lugnut, your souls have been intertwining themselves together for a while."

Levy looked at him with wide eyes before he continued. "I can't tell you if some kinky mating ritual is going to take place or not but it's real clear to me that you two are already pretty much bound together, for what it's worth."

The girl in front of him finally realized she needed to breathe, before she stuttered, "You can see something like that? What's it even look like?"

Bickslow grinned wide. "Sure can. And it's kinda hard to explain. Just think of it as being able to see his aura within you and vice versa. Kind of like your own distinct colored strings that are attached to the other person."

"Wow," was all the girl could say.

The man let out a laugh at her shocked expression. "So quit worryin' 'bout what the end's gonna look like and just enjoy the ride." As Levy looked up she saw him waggle his eyebrows before lolling his tongue out.

"Bickslow, you perv!" she shouted in jest.

"Me a perv?" he feigned shock. "I'm not the one who's been fucking in the guildhall!" Levy turned beet red before she heard a voice and footsteps descending the library stairs.

"Bixy baby, you ready for me?" That was clearly Cana's voice.

Levy raised her eyebrows at the seith mage. "Not doing it in the guildhall, 'eh?"

Bickslow merely grinned before shoving himself out of the seat. "Okay, you caught me. Fun ain't it?" he laughed before chasing Cana up the stairs.

"Yeah," Levy laughed to herself. "I guess this journey is a lot of fun after all." Feeling suddenly at ease, she returned to her work without further distractions.


	33. Home Sweet Home

"The fuck?" Gajeel swore as he tripped on a piece of furniture he didn't remember existing in his apartment. The job he and Lily took turned out to be a little more strenuous than expected, especially considering that the client kept requesting additional tasks once one was complete. They had managed to catch the last train back to Magnolia that night and it was well past midnight by the time they landed back at the apartment.

Blinking to adjust their eyes to the light, Gajeel looked around his apartment. Everything was where he left it but he recognized a number of things that belonged to Levy strategically placed throughout his home.

He'd been so shocked by what he was seeing that he missed the sounds of his bedroom door opening. "Gajeel?" Levy's voice shocked him and he'd always deny that he jumped when anyone asked him.

"Hey, Blue. Fancy seeing you here," the man half smiled as he flung his boots off. Seeing her standing there, in nothing but one of his shirts at the edge of his bedroom door was making him feel all the more happy to be home.

"Long story," she said sleepily. "Hi Lily," she greeted the black exceed.

"Levy," the little cat bowed before plopping himself down on the couch and curling up in a blanket. "I'm good here, Gajeel. Night," he said before falling into an almost immediate sleep.

"Tough job?" the bluenette asked, as Gajeel walked towards her.

"More like annoying," the man groaned before reaching for her and pulling her into his arms. He burrowed his nose in the top of her head, reveling in the feeling of her wrapped around him. Pushing her into the bedroom, he switched off the lights and closed the door behind him. Patting her backside to her slight giggle, he said, "get into bed. I'm gonna rinse off and I'll be in in a minute."

"Okay," she said with a yawn as she climbed back into the covers. He laughed to himself as he watched her. She really didn't know how cute she was.

Five minutes later had Gajeel throwing on a pair of clean briefs and climbing into bed next to a groggy script mage. He pulled her close to him, passing his hands over each of her breasts before traveling down to grab her rear as he moved her small form closer. She moaned slightly, still clearly almost asleep before entangling her legs with his before the two fell into a blissful sleep.

The next morning Levy awoke to the feeling of Gajeel's hardness pressing into her backside. She smiled before grinding herself back against him, loving the sound of him moaning as he slowly woke up. His hands finally tightened around her hips and he used his hold as leverage as he grinded against her. She turned her head back so she could see his face and he cracked an eye open before saying, "Mornin'."

Levy turned around in his arms before she began kissing his neck and nipping at his shoulder. The iron slayer laughed lightly before remarking, "Looks like someone's anxious."

The bluenette looked at him with a glint in her eye and without saying a word, she threw the covers off, pushed his shoulders flat onto the bed and climbed on top of him. Gajeel loved when she took the reins like this. Leaning back and placing his hands behind his head, he watched as she grinded against him. He added to the friction by pushing his hips up against her, making her gasp as he lifted her up off the bed.

Levy had had enough teasing. She hadn't seen her man in a few days now and she was absolutely craving his body. Reaching down, she pulled his briefs down his legs before bringing her hand up to pump him several times. She moved her panties to the side before lowering herself down on his thick length. The two moaned in unison, as it had been far too long since they'd been joined.

Placing her hands on his chest, Levy started to bounce on his rod, throwing her head back at the amazing feelings. Gajeel reached up to lift the shirt off of her so he could watch her tits bounce with each movement. He let his hand trail down between her breasts and down her stomach before stopping at her clit to thumb it while she continued to work herself on top of him.

Her breathing was becoming more and more rapid with each circle he drew with his finger. "Gajeel," she was moaning his name now and he was just waiting for her to crest so he could really let go. "Gajeel, I'm gonna," she groaned.

"Fuck, Levy. Come on top of me," the man husked. With his words and his movements she came undone, slamming herself down onto him before riding out her waves of pleasure. But Gajeel didn't give her much time. He turned her over quickly, pushing her back into the mattress as he pounded into her body quickly. His thrusts were deep and the pleasure she felt continued to spread through her before he finally gasped her name and collapsed on top of her, his rod pulsing deep within her walls.

When the two finally caught their breath, Gajeel gave her a light kiss on her forehead before slowly pulling out of her. Grasping her hand, he pulled her into the bathroom where he got the shower started.

Looking around, he could see a number of bath items that clearly looked like they belonged to Levy. Pulling her into the shower with him he finally turned to the bluenette to ask, "Did you move in all by yourself?"

"Don't be mad!" she quickly responded, throwing her hands up.

Gajeel's face softened before pulling her into the spray with him. "Why would I be mad? I just hate the idea of you carrying heavy boxes all by yourself. You should have let me help," he chided.

"Actually, I hired Virgo."

"Lucy's spirit?" he clarified.

"Yep!" she nodded her head. "And it barely cost me anything," she said with a giggle.

"So you're completely moved in?" the man asked. Levy nodded her head yes. "What are you going to do with your old apartment?"

Levy frowned a bit before responding, "Not sure. I've still got a couple months left on my lease. I'll see if one of the girls wants to take it."

The iron slayer smiled before pulling her into another embrace. "I'm really glad you're here, Levy. I love you, you know that right?"

Levy curled into the hug, nodding her head against his arm. She was about to respond but he continued, "I'm sorry I can't tell you anything more about dragon mating. I know you've been trying to research it but—"

Levy pulled back from his arms, making him stop mid-sentence. "Gajeel, it's okay. I'm not worried about any of that anymore. I'm just happy I get to be with you, whatever that entails."

Gajeel gave her a hard stare. "I don't know _what_ it entails, though."

Levy shook her head. "Doesn't matter."

Gajeel pulled her back into another tight hug. "I don't deserve you," the man said into her wet locks.

"Yes you do," she responded quietly, just letting him hold her.

. . .

Alzena tried not to roll her eyes as the councilman pulled his less than impressive cock from her body. She had dismissed her staff for the morning in anticipation of his arrival and he had used the opportunity to fuck her on the floor of her office. In the past she hadn't minded these bouts with Gran Doma. In his youth the man was quite vigorous but as he aged he became less inclined to please his partner. So these encounters always left her feeling used and quite dissatisfied.

She used to have Erigor to make up the difference. Now she wondered if she was simply replacing him with Kageyama. The whole situation made her head spin and she hated feeling like she couldn't control her emotions. She'd never fully come to terms with her feelings for Erigor and now this new tryst with Kageyama, in the middle of everything else she had planned, was not well timed. Deep down she knew she should probably just break ties with the young man but something inside her prevented her from doing so.

"Always a pleasure, Alzena," Gran Doma said, standing up and tucking himself back into his pants. He didn't even offer her a hand to help her stand up.

She pushed herself into a sitting position so she could push her panties back to the center before standing up. Luckily the man wore a condom so she wouldn't be dripping his seed until she could get a shower. The woman hummed in feigned agreement.

"Ten o'clock tonight, correct?" he asked bluntly.

She tried her best not to roll her eyes. The man was completely paranoid about planning; convinced something was going to go wrong and he was going to be ousted for his involvement in the purchase and sale of dark magic items. Of course, this time he did have reason to worry, if everything went according to the Mayor's plan.

. . .

Later that morning found Gajeel, Levy and Lily boarding the train, bound for Oshibana station. They were to meet with the Mayor in the early afternoon to get the details of the job, per Makarov's instructions.

Gajeel groaned as they sat down in their compartment, hating the fact that he was on a train again in such a short time period. Levy let him lay in her lap as she brushed his hair softly, attempting to lull him to sleep. It was clear he was still exhausted from his earlier job. Lily was already curled up against her legs, dozing as the train lurched into motion.

Levy stared at the moving scenery as the two men around her slept. She wondered what this job would entail and hoped that she would be up for it. Gajeel had done a lot to build up her confidence in her magical abilities. He had pointed out that quite often, she was the one that had saved Jet and Droy on all their jobs together without even realizing it. She had blushed at the realization, thinking back on all the jobs Team Shadowgear had taken and all the times that she had pulled out her solid script magic to rescue the pair when they got in over their heads. She had never given it much thought, always thinking that she was just doing the least fighting necessary because she was weak. But Gajeel was helping her realize she was more of a powerhouse than she gave herself credit.

Thankfully, the train ride was short and within two hours, the train was pulling into their destination and Levy was rousing the sleeping pair to exit the train. Gajeel stretched his arms high over his head when he got out on the platform, breathing in the fresh air deeply. Lily perched himself on his shoulder and the group started walking towards the address Makarov had given them.

Finally entering the government building, they made their way to the appropriate office where a rather timid looking woman greeted them. "Hello," she said meekly, reaching her hand out to shake Levy's and trying hard not to look at Gajeel. "My name is Cindy, the Mayor's been expecting you, if you'll follow me."

The three followed the woman through a number of desks before they reached two large glass doors. The woman knocked softly on the door before cracking it open. "Mayor Alysia, the wizards from Fairy Tail are here to see you."

"Yes, thank you, Cindy. Please, send them in," the woman said brightly. Cindy turned and smiled before opening the door and ushering the group through.

"Thank you, so much for being willing to take this job. My name is Mayor Alysia, as I'm sure you know. Please, have a seat," the woman gestured to the seats in front of her desk where Levy and Gajeel sat down while Lily stayed perched on Gajeel's shoulder.

"It's lovely to meet you, Ma'am. My name is Levy and these are my partners, Gajeel and Lily," Levy said, gesturing to the pair beside her.

The Mayor turned and nodded to each of them at their introductions. "I'm so glad you could make it. As I'm sure you're Guildmaster informed you, we have been having some difficulties with the Sylph Labyrinth Guild here in Oshibana. They have been stealing from our residents and there has been growing fear and unrest in the City."

Gajeel narrowed his eyes at her explanation. "What is it that you're looking for us to do here?" he said somewhat skeptically.

The dark-haired woman adjusted her glasses and directed her smile at Gajeel. "Well, I was able to gain some intel on a supposed exchange this evening where some guild members are supposed to be selling some stolen goods. I was hoping that you would be able to gather proof of this meeting. I've heard great things about your shadow abilities. I'm sure you would be able to get the necessary proof without being detected."

"No offense, ma'am, but this sounds like a job for your police. Why involve us?" Gajeel was pressing the woman and Levy was feeling a little uncomfortable at his tone, but she trusted his instincts to handle things.

The Mayor sighed. "Unfortunately, I don't have any real proof. Currently, they are still a legal guild and it would be very unseemly for the mayor of a city to go accusing a legal guild, registered in her city, of stealing from citizens without any evidence. I'm hoping that this job will give me the proof I need to finally take it to the authorities. Whether that be the police or even the Magic Council."

Gajeel was still frowning but nodded his head in agreement, before settling back into his chair. Levy smiled at the Mayor before picking up the conversation. "So, where is this meeting supposed to happen?"

After getting the details from the woman, the three left to check into a hotel nearby. Gajeel was silent the entire walk to the hotel and didn't say anything until they had checked into their room. Sitting himself down on the bed, he finally spoke. "Something doesn't seem right to me," he said with a frown.

"What do you mean?" Levy sat opposite him in a chair as Lily opted for the second bed.

"I don't know, I'm just getting a weird vibe from the whole thing," the man admitted. "It's hard to explain."

"Do you think we should contact her office and cancel the job?" Levy asked, worrying her bottom lip.

Gajeel let out a deep sigh, but it was Lily that spoke up. "That's probably not the best option. It could reflect poorly on our Guild and the Mayor may not be too pleased after she already divulged all the details. In one form or another, I could see that coming back on Fairy Tail in a negative way."

"And I'd like to see what this little meeting is all about this evening," Gajeel continued. "We had our own run in with Sylph and if this is a chance to bring them down for good, I want to take it." Levy nodded her head in understanding. "We're just going to have to be extra cautious. I don't think this is going to be as easy as that woman is making it sound."

The three all nodded their heads in agreement before turning the conversation to planning their raid.

. . .

"I can smell his cologne on you and I _hate_ it," Kageyama said into her neck, nipping at the skin there. Her staff was just outside her office doors but she had drawn the shades to her office's glass double doors. Kageyama had slipped into her office through his shadow magic undetected, a skill she planned to put to good use this evening.

"You needn't comment," the woman tried to say as the man sucked her skin into his mouth. "It doesn't concern you." She gasped as he released the skin, grating it with his teeth.

"I don't like his smell on you," the man seethed, moving to suck the skin of her collarbone.

"You don't own me," she breathed heavily, leaning her head back to grant him better access.

"I _intend_ to own every part of you, Alzena," he said between sucking and kissing at her skin. Unbuttoning her blouse he pulled her bra down so her breasts sprang free, allowing him to swirl his tongue around one of her pert nipples.

The woman ignored his comment, not sure how she felt about him getting so attached so quickly. Even less sure about why that made her feel even more turned on. "You understand the plan for this evening?" she managed to say between moans.

Kageyama released her nipple from his mouth, replacing it with his hand as he trailed his tongue up to her ear. "Ten o'clock, Hotel Oshibana Room 310. Hide the Rune Knights in my shadows until they arrest Gran Doma and the Sylph," he repeated his instructions in hot breath against her ear.

"Very good," she moaned as he squeezed her supple breast.

"And then I get my revenge on the Fairy Fucks that are there," he continued.

She groaned her agreement before allowing herself to succumb to the man's ministrations. She had promised herself that she wasn't going to call him to her office, but when he just appeared and threw her against the wall, she wasn't strong enough to turn away his attentions.

His fingers reached under her skirt, pushing aside her panties to tickle her folds. He slanted his lips over hers before plunging his fingers into her depths, feeling even more gratified when she gasped into his mouth.

He pulled away from her abruptly, leaving her breasts exposed, her skirt pushed up and her lips swollen from his attention. He stood back, looking at her and loving how he could make her come so undone. She tried to follow him but he shook his head. "I'll be at your place this evening to finish what we started," he smirked before disappearing into his shadows.

Resurfacing in an alley next to the government building, he adjusted the raging boner he had in his pants. He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm his body down. It took all his willpower not to throw the woman down and fuck her senseless but he wanted her to crave him and he knew this would make that happen.

This evening he would make sure that she didn't smell like that fucking traitorous councilman ever again.

 


	34. The Meeting

Gajeel, Levy and Lily sat eating their lunch on the patio of an outdoor restaurant overlooking Hotel Oshibana. They had picked this spot to strategically scope out the hotel as best they could for the evening's encounter.

Levy scribbled notes down on a little notepad two tables away from where Gajeel and Lily sat together, looking as if she were just there working on a novel or homework. She had been the one to travel and sit separately so that the three wouldn't be linked together and draw suspicion.

Gajeel was munching on his sandwich, paying special attention to where the hotel cast shadows over the sidewalks while Lily attempted to tell a drawn out story so Gajeel could concentrate on what he was doing.

So when the trio watched the Thunder Legion enter the main floor of the restaurant from up above, it startled all of them. Gajeel gave Levy a meaningful look and the bluenette nodded in understanding. She quickly scribbled a note and their hotel information on her pad and discreetly tore the paper, putting it in her pocket.

As a front, she asked a nearby waiter where the restroom was and said silent thanks when it put her on a direct path past Laxus and the others. Walking with purpose towards her destination, being careful not to make eye contact with any at the table, she held the slip of paper out when she walked by and Laxus discreetly grabbed it and slipped it into his shirt pocket. The Thunder Legion had done enough covert missions by this time to understand that a lack of eye contact from a fellow guildmember meant that they were trying to keep the fact that they were on official business hidden.

Later that afternoon, the Tribe met the trio back at their hotel room, entering the hotel in two different groups so not to draw suspicion themselves. Needless to say, the Thunder Legion traveling as a group definitely drew stares.

"So what's up?" Laxus said casually, seating himself on the sofa that was nestled against the wall.

"We're here on a job from the Mayor of Oshibana," Gajeel began.

Bickslow whistled before plopping himself down on the sofa next to Laxus. The blonde rolled his eyes as he bounced slightly from the Seith's actions. "Fancy!" he said, winking at Levy when he caught her eye. Gajeel didn't miss the interaction and before he could help himself, a low growl came out of his throat.

Laxus didn't miss what had happened and raised an eyebrow at the man before clearing his throat and redirecting the Iron Slayer. "What's the job?"

"There's some meeting going on with Sylph. Apparently they've been stealing from the town and selling stolen goods and she wants official intel on the deals. She's hired us to be her eyes and ears," Gajeel explained, still narrowing his eyes at the oblivious Seith mage.

Laxus furrowed his brow. "That sounds like more of a job for her police force."

Levy nodded in agreement. "That's what we all thought and voiced that concern to her."

Evergreen chimed in, "and? What'd she say?" the brunette inquired.

Gajeel shook his head. "She brushed it off, claiming that it wouldn't look good for someone in her position to be pointing fingers at a legal guild."

"That makes no sense. Seems to me if people were complaining about thefts and she had information on a secret meeting, that'd be enough to justify getting the police involved, even if it turned out to be a false lead," Freed chimed in.

Gajeel nodded his head in agreement. "So what's your guys' plan? You're still going through with everything?" Laxus inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"We don't really have a choice," Lily sighed. "If we cancel last minute, it will reflect poorly on the guild."

"Plus," Gajeel added. "If there is something going on, I want to find out about it."

Laxus nodded his head in understanding. "Plan?"

"Hiding in shadows during the meeting. Lily was planning on taking the back alley while Levy watched the entrance from the restaurant deck across the street," Gajeel explained.

"Can you hide more than one person in your shadows?" Laxus inquired.

Gajeel nodded his head, "but I think I'd max out at one other person. It's not a skill I've had much time to practice."

"Right," Laxus nodded. "Ever, Freed, you will go with Levy to watch the entrance. Bix, you will accompany Lily to keep eyes on the perimeter while Gajeel and I will hide in the room of the actual meeting."

Everyone nodded their heads in understanding. Gajeel looked at the alarm clock on the nightstand. It was currently four. They all had a couple hours to chill out before they needed to separate and start getting into position. Evergreen proposed to Levy that the pair use the time to scope out the area a little more under the guise of shopping, much to Freed's chagrin. Bickslow and Lily decided that they would go grab an early dinner in order to be in the area on time. All this left Laxus and Gajeel alone in the hotel room, opting to stay out of sight until they absolutely needed to get moving.

Laxus turned on the sofa and stretched his legs out long, leveling Gajeel, who was still sitting on the bed with a hard stare. "So, what was that shit back there?"

Gajeel grunted at him before grabbing the remote for the lacrimavision. "What's the issue?" the man replied without taking his eyes from flipping through the channels.

Laxus kicked his boots off before saying, "You tell me. You looked like you were going to murder Bix."

"Dunno man," Gajeel responded, a little annoyed at the whole conversation. "He looked at my woman weird. Didn't like it."

Laxus rolled his eyes before turning his attention to the lacrimavision himself. "You first gens and your fucked up mating stuff. Glad I don't have to deal with that."

Gajeel scoffed. "Yeah, we'll see about that," he said, flipping past all the news stations.

Laxus furrowed his brow. "What do you know?"

"A lot less than I'd like to," Gajeel said flatly. Both men rolled their eyes to hide their inner turmoil before getting drawn into whatever happened to be on the lacrimavision.

. . .

The mayor fidgeted nervously on the couch. After months of planning, the evening had finally arrived and she was fervently wishing everything would go according to plan. She'd taken a small leap of faith with Kageyama. She knew that the man had harbored a deep grudge against the Fairy Tail Guild. Other than knowing it came about from the Lullaby incident, she didn't know any of the specifics. But she felt confident that being able to take out two members and potentially frame the entire Guild for dark dealings would satisfy his grievance.

It was just around nine in the evening and she knew that everyone would be convening on their given locations soon. She tried concentrating on the lacrimavision in front of her. There was little she could do but wait and get word from the Rune Knights and Kageyama that everything had gone according to plan.

A soft tap at her door had her breath catch in her throat. Her heart raced at a million miles. "It's too soon for anything to have happened at this point," she thought to herself, trying to get her heartbeat to slow. "Did Gran Doma catch wind of my plan? Is he here to arrest me?" Worst-case scenarios played out in her mind and she startled again when the tap sounded a second time at the door.

"Alzena?" a man's voice called her name softly from the other side of the door. She knew that voice! She rushed to the foyer, not caring that she was currently just wearing a flimsy slip and robe. Throwing open the door, the sight that greeted her was slightly different than what she remembered.

"Erigor?" she breathed and the man in front of her smiled briefly.

"Can I come in?" he said, looking around to see if anyone had seen them.

The woman could barely speak so instead she nodded her head and moved aside so her former lover could enter the room. She closed the door behind him and turned to rest on it, looking at him. She wasn't sure she could support her weight at this moment.

The man looked quite different from how she remembered him. He was thinner and his white hair was shaved much closer to his head than it had been when she'd known him. He lowered the hood to the black sweatshirt he was wearing over a pair of billowing khaki pants tucked into combat boots. He looked as good as she remembered with his exotically tattooed eyes and strong features. "Where have you-?" she tried to ask him where he had been, why he had left her all those years ago without so much as a goodbye but he didn't give her a chance to finish her sentence.

His lips were on hers with a ferocity that she had so missed from this man. He'd been such a passionate lover back then. Sure, he got overly confident and could be a bit of an asshole to people but he was always so attentive when he was with her and she loved it. She tried not to admit how much she had missed him, she had tried to bury these feelings deep down when it was clear that he wasn't returning to her but with his one kiss, everything she tried to keep herself from feeling rushed through her like a tempest.

"I should have come back to you when I had the chance," the man breathed against her skin. His voice was softer than she remembered it. It seemed that something extremely traumatic had happened to him over the course of the years that changed him. All the same, he grasped under Alzena's legs, lifting them to wrap around his torso and walked over to the couch, where he sat down with her straddling him. "God, I've missed looking into those green eyes of yours," he said, caressing her face.

"Where have you been?" the woman said, trying not to become distracted by the man's soft touches.

"Gods, Alzy, I don't even know," he said, looking out the window.

Her breath hitched when he'd used that pet name. It'd been years since anyone had called her that. "Don't," she said softly.

He turned his dark eyes back on her. "Don't what?" he said with a concerned look.

"Don't call me that," she said trying to meet his eyes. There was a look of hurt and confusion in his dark gaze that reflected exactly what she was feeling on the inside. "You left, for years. I never heard from you," she choked out. "You can't just act like none of that happened."

She tried to slide off the man's lap but he grasped her hips harder before hugging himself to her. "Alzy," he breathed. "I didn't mean to leave. Things got really fucked up. I completely lost myself but," he hesitated before pulling back to look into her eyes, "through everything the thought that helped pull me out of it was you. I knew I had to come back for you, it's the only thing that kept me together."

"Erigor," she cried his name before his lips were on hers again and this time, she didn't fight it.

. . .

By nine thirty that evening everyone was in their places. Evergreen, Freed and Levy were surrounded by shopping bags, each sipping on a glass of wine on the outside patio of the restaurant directly across from the hotel. Bickslow and Lily had each taken a corner of the back alleys behind the hotel, keeping themselves well hidden, while Gajeel and Laxus made their way into the hotel under cover of shadows.

Bickslow had also been clever enough to hide Pappa in Evergreen's bracelet and Puppu in a table lamp in the hotel itself. Peppe stayed close to Lily while Poppo and Pippi made rounds above the hotel from up above.

Around quarter of, Levy spotted three men walking together into the hotel. Unsure of exactly who they were looking for, Evergreen relayed their descriptions back to Gajeel and Laxus through Pappa and the duo confirmed that the three had entered the room they were currently in. Levy had snapped a picture of them using a device on her glasses that took little more than looking where you wanted to take a picture and tapping the side of the frames.

The three men were each wearing pretty normal attire; clearly in an attempt to not stick out. When they arrived in the room, they talked amongst themselves about nothing in particular before finally settling in. "Do you know who we're selling to this time?" one of them asked the others.

"Nah," another responded. "Just some rich old dude from what I was told." The others nodded in understanding.

Gajeel shifted in the shadows slightly. He could feel another presence in the room other than the three men but he couldn't pin point it. Laxus leveled him a confused stare, as if to say, "What's up?" but Gajeel just furrowed his brow and shook his head.

He hadn't acquired his shadow abilities all that long ago and while he'd been working diligently on training with them, this was the first time he'd ever had to hide another person in them for an extended period of time. What he found was that it tended to dull his other senses from operating at their full potential.

The pair finally got word from the girls that what looked like the buyer had entered the hotel. Sure enough, the door to the suite opened and in walked a man in low level Rune Knight attire, looking entirely too old to be sporting such a low rank. The man acknowledged the three in the room before taking a seat. One of the three from Sylph stood up to stand guard at the door while the others laid some objects out on the coffee table.

The Sylph members got busy explaining to the man what each of the items did. Gajeel was trying to pay attention but he couldn't help get distracted by a weird disturbance he sensed in the shadows. "This is a rune enhanced knife that will cut through any armor but will remain clean without any traces of DNA," he heard the man explain.

Laxus could sense the Iron's Slayer's discomfort and he noticed the shadows around them starting to flux. He grasped the man's shoulder to give him a meaningful look, but before the two could exchange glances, the scene before them got interesting. The older man had decided on which items he wished to purchase and money had exchanged hands.

In the next instant, Gajeel realized why he was sensing such a disturbance with his shadows. About five Rune Knights spilled out from various shadows, their weapons drawn. "Gran Doma," the leader of the group announced. "You are hereby under arrest for the purchase of stolen items. And you three," the knight looked sternly at the three men that had tried to back themselves up against the wall that had a window, "you three are under arrest for the possession and sale of stolen items. An investigation will be undertaken into your Guild, but until that time, operations of Sylph Labyrinth are under suspension."

"What the hell is going on, man?" Laxus whispered to Gajeel. "Is that really Gran Doma?"

Gajeel shook his head, taking in the whole scene. The whole thing felt wrong. If the Rune Knights were going to do a bust, surely they would have informed the Mayor. Gajeel scanned the room again, paying special attention to the shadows throughout the suite as the knights handcuffed everyone.

"I demand that you release me at once!" Gran Doma said in an authoritative voice. "I was merely here to do my own investigation of magically stolen items."

The leader of the Rune Knights scoffed. "Nice try, old man. But someone ratted you out a long time ago. The entire Council's been watching your moves since then."

The knights began ushering all of the men out the door, but Gajeel wasn't looking at that. He froze the instant he saw it. "We've gotta get out of here," he whispered to Laxus. As soon as the door to the suite swung shut behind the exiting knights, Gajeel felt himself and Laxus being pulled from their shadows.

"Come on out to play, Fairies," a voice Gajeel recognized sneered. The Iron Slayer had a tentative grasp on the shadows as it was with trying to hide Laxus in them as well. As soon as the force pushed against him, the two of them stumbled out into the lights of the room.

Gajeel looked up and was instantly able to place the voice with the name. "Kageyama," he said, looking at the dark haired man that was smirking across from him.

But as Kageyama took in the sight of Laxus and Gajeel before him, his confident smile turned to confusion. "Gajeel?" he looked around. "This isn't right."

"Who were you expecting," Gajeel said, keeping himself at the ready.

Kageyama locked eyes with him before glancing at Laxus and back to Gajeel. "The red head and her team! The ones that fucked up my life all those years ago!"

"I give you my word, man. They're not here," Laxus said with a level voice.

"Bullshit!" Kageyama spat.

Gajeel could sense that the man was growing angry. He didn't understand how this man was involved in this job and with the Rune Knights given his history. "Kageyama," Gajeel said. The man turned to face him. "What's going on here? You and I go back a bit and I don't want any problems." Laxus raised an eyebrow at the Iron Slayer. He knew the man had a darker past but he didn't know that it involved potentially working with dark guilds like Eisenwald.

"That red head of yours and her team was supposed to be here. They were the ones that were supposed to take the job," he said angrily. "It doesn't matter. I can still bring down your Guild this way."

"Bring down our Guild?" Laxus looked at him skeptically.

The man's confident smirk returned. "That's right. Why else would you two be here, hiding in the shadows, if not to participate in this little back alley transaction? As soon as word gets out that Fairy Tail is in the business of buying stolen magical items, your charter will be revoked for good."

Gajeel growled. He'd had a feeling from the beginning that this was some sort of lame attempt at a set up. "Look Kageyama, I don't want any problems with you. It seems like you've turned over a new leaf since prison. I know I have. Let's just agree to part ways without a problem."

"Besides," Laxus chimed in. "We're here on a job from the Mayor."

Kageyama laughed. "Oh you are, are you? Do you have a job request you can produce? No? No proof of what you're saying? Seems strange that a Mayor would hire Guild members to do what her police force could do."

Laxus winced. The two had been right all along about this job. "So what now, Kageyama?" Gajeel tried to calm the growing tension.

"Your Guild destroyed my Guild. I have every right to call the Rune Knights back up here to arrest you right now!" Kageyama yelled. Laxus and Gajeel stayed silent, not sure exactly what to say in the moment and equally fearful of setting the man off. Laxus sent a silent thanks to Bickslow for having one of his babies inhabit the nearby table lamp. If shit got real, Bickslow should be able to reproduce exactly what Kageyama was saying in order to clear the Guild's name.

Kageyama tried to slow his brain down. Everything the Mayor promised him felt like it was slipping through his fingers. If he arrested these two now, the entire Guild would get caught up in the legal process and out of his grasp. He'd never get the revenge he wanted on those specific fairies. "But you're not the ones I have an issue with."

The two slayers both heaved a sigh of relief. "Look man," Gajeel started. "The both of us have been in dark places before. You should really consider joining a new guild. I know Fairy Tail would be happy to have you but, it doesn't have to be us."

Kageyama spat. "Join Fairy Tail?" How could the man suggest something like that? He'd heard the rumors that Black Steel had lost his edge but he'd never truly believed it. The two of them had ended up working together on a few combined jobs over the years. Nothing over the top, a little blackmail and a few beatings, but they'd worked well together. But now looking at him, he could see the rumors were true. "I'd never…" he trailed off. He had to get over to Alzena's house. He needed her to explain to him why she'd hired these people instead of the red head and her team. The whole thing was too much; he had to get out of there. The man quickly wrapped himself in shadows and disappeared through the window.

"Well, fuck," the slayers said in unison.

. . .

"Alzena," Kageyama called out her name as he swung the front door open. He wasn't sure what he wanted to hear from the woman but he needed to hear from her voice why the specific fairies he was after weren't at the meeting tonight. He was pretty sure he had told her the specifics of who he wanted to take down but his mind was running at a million miles per hour.

But when a ghost from his past followed by the woman he knew he was starting to love walked out into the foyer, he suddenly forgot why he had even come over to the house. "What the—Erigor?" Kageyama could barely believe what he was seeing.

"Kageyama?" the man responded with a smile. "What are you doing here?"

Kageyama furrowed his brow and looked between his woman and his old leader. "Alzena, what's going on?" The woman shook her head, not exactly sure what to say. She'd been caught between her old and new lover. That coupled with the entire day's events were just too much for her. She stayed silent, her lips locked and Kageyama turned back to Erigor.

Realization dawned on the man of what was likely going on. "She's not yours anymore, Erigor. You left! She's with me now!" Kageyama nearly roared. He'd be damned if he lost his chance at revenge and his woman all in the same night.

Erigor turned to Alzena, "Alzy, is this true?" The woman was clearly having trouble processing everything. She was leaning against the sofa, trying hard to catch her breath. Erigor turned back to Kageyama. "It doesn't matter. I love this woman and I always have. You and I were friends once, Kageyama. In honor of that friendship I can forgive what happened while I was lost but I won't let you have her from now on," the man said sternly.

"She doesn't belong to you!" Kageyama yelled, his shadows rippling across his body.

The wind picked up in the room as Erigor tossed his sweatshirt to the side, exposing his intricately tattooed chest. "I do not wish to fight you, Kageyama. In the name of our friendship, please just leave." Alzena was on the floor, staring up at the two men in disbelief.

Kageyama hissed at his old leader's words. "Friends? What the fuck did you ever know about friendship? You ruled by fear! We followed you because we were _afraid_. The entire guild proved to me there was no love lost between us when you all stabbed me in the back!" Kageyama directed one of his shadows out at Erigor, attempting to ring the man's throat but Erigor easily deflected it away with a strong gust of wind.

Shadows and wind combined to tear a hole right in the side of the Mayor's house, blowing out the window in the process. Glass scattered everywhere but the men didn't even notice.

With the first move made, the two began to hurl attack after attack at each other in a full out brawl.

. . .

The flashing of lights and boom of crashing walls attracted the attention of Levy, Evergreen and Freed, who were anxiously waiting for Gajeel and Laxus to group back up after they'd seen the Rune Knights leave the hotel with the four men they'd seen earlier in tow.

Levy gave Evergreen a wide-eyed look as another particularly heavy blast shook their wine glasses off the table. Turning back to the hotel the three saw Gajeel, Laxus, Bickslow and Lily all making their way over to the patio. "Look there," Freed pointed out so the arrivals could see.

"Whatd'ya thinks goin' on?" Gajeel mused out loud.

Laxus frowned, "I dunno but I think we should go check it out before the entire town gets blown apart." The group members nodded and they all turned to jog towards the source of the sound, with Bickslow flying on his babies to scout out the scene.

Within a few minutes he had returned. "Looks like two guys fighting each other, no holds bar, Boss," he said to Laxus. "It's weird because I feel like I recognize at least one of them."

"Does one of 'em have black hair, wearing a white jacket?" Gajeel yelled up at Bix.

The Seith nodded. "Yeah, how'd you know?"

Gajeel looked at Laxus. "That's Kageyama. This isn't good."

The scene that greeted them was far from good. The building behind them had been mostly destroyed and Levy spotted the mayor all but collapsed on the ground. "Mayor!" she shouted, making her way with Evergreen over to the woman. The woman was heaving heavy sobs as the pair lifted her off the ground between them.

"Kageyama!" Gajeel shouted at the man from a few feet away. The dark-haired man turned to face Gajeel and just as he did, Erigor sent him flying forward with a well-placed wind attack.

Upon seeing his attack, Bickslow spoke up. "Hey I know you!" he exclaimed. "Boss! That's Erigor. Wendy and I fought him back just a few months ago."

Hearing his name and seeing Bicklow, Erigor descended from the sky. "I do not wish to fight any of you. You especially," he said turning to Bickslow. "This issue is solely between myself and Kageyama."

The group turned towards Gajeel and was surprised to see him well engaged in fending off Kageyama's shadow attacks. "Look man," he was saying through gritted teeth. "I don't want to fight you."

"It's a little too late for that," Kageyama yelled back. The man had lost control of his powers. The heartbreak by seeing Alzena with Erigor together with the want for revenge fresh in his heart was too much for him and the shadows were eating at his control. Gajeel could sense the disturbance in the man's power and was trying his best not to hurt him. He'd felt the shadow's powers before, he knew how difficult it could be not to give in to them, and so he knew what this man must be feeling right now. But every time Gajeel attempted to pin him down with his iron, the man was able to morph into shadows and escape.

"Little help here?" Gajeel yelled over at his teammates.

They all moved to assist but Erigor spoke. "Do not interfere. This fight does not concern you," he said in a steady voice.

"Sorry, pal. But we ain't just gonna leave Gajeel to do all the work himself," Bickslow said. He moved to help the Iron Slayer but a gust of wind forced him back to his starting position no matter how hard he tried to push past it.

"Look man," Laxus directed at Erigor. "I remember Bix saying you went through some fucked up shit and are trying to sort it all out but if you don't let us through to help our friend, we're gonna get shit sorted right here."

"Will you attack me then? Lightning God?" Erigor taunted at Laxus, a little bit of his old self showing through.

Laxus' tentative hold on his anger broke and he leveled a bolt of lightning at the man. Erigor attempted to evade but was clipped by the electricity, leaving the side of his pants singing. Freed took the opportunity to break from Laxus to transform into his dark ecriture to better assist Gajeel.

Alzena watched in horror as the entire scene unfolded before her eyes. It was too much for the woman to handle. Looking around, she was vaguely aware that her house was pretty much destroyed and both the men she had come to care about and rely on were hurting each other. "Stop!" she screamed, trying to break away from Levy and Evergreen's hold. The women held on to her arms firmly though, encouraging her to calm down, trying to tell her that things would be all right.

The stress of the entire situation became too much for the woman. "I have to get to them," she wailed at her captors. "I have to make them stop!" The woman was heaving heavy sobs as she struggled against their grasp. Levy and Evergreen startled as they began to feel magic power growing within the woman.

Evergreen looked pointedly at Levy. "Is she a mage?"

Levy shook her head, "Not that I was aware of. Mages aren't allowed to serve in civilian positions," she explained quickly. "And neither Gajeel nor I felt any magical energy from her before in our meeting."

But the build up of power was unmistakable. Levy tried to continue to calm down the woman. If she was having some sort of an episode, if perhaps her magic had been repressed when she was younger, then the stress of the situation could cause it to unleash in a violent and dangerous manner. "Mayor," she was calling to the woman. "Alzena!" But the woman couldn't hear her.

The mayor's internal dialogue was awash with thoughts of needing to stop the men and needing to leave the area. A large crack of Laxus' lightning sent Erigor spiraling down, hitting the ground hard. Alzena saw the entire thing and it's what made her snap. In that moment, she wrenched free of her captors to run forward. Pushing a startled Laxus aside, she grabbed a hold of Erigor and the two just disappeared.

"What just happened," Laxus shouted, turning towards the women. Bickslow went to help Gajeel and Freed pin down an already mostly beaten Kageyama.

Levy was running towards Laxus waving her arms. "She's a mage!"

"What?" Laxus shouted in disbelief.

"The mayor," the bluenette gasped as she slowed to catch her breath. "She's a mage."

Laxus looked to Evergreen for an explanation. "Her power must have been suppressed at a young age. The stress of everything must have caused it to break its last seal."

At just that moment, the three men walked over, Kageyama encased in Freed's runes, mostly unconscious. "The mayor's a mage?" Gajeel clarified. Levy nodded her head. She looked at Kageyama. This whole job was a clusterfuck. From start to finish, nothing added up right.

"What'll we do with him?" Bickslow asked, pointing at the shadow mage.

"Turn him over to the authorities," Laxus suggested.

Gajeel was quick to interject. "No. Let's bring him back to the guild."

"What?" everyone gasped in unison, but Gajeel just shook his head.

"He's in a dark place. I've been where he is. Turning him over to the Rune Knights would only cement him there further. Besides," he said meeting everyone's confused gazes, "he hasn't technically committed a crime this evening. He was merely defending himself against Erigor's attacks as far as I'm concerned."

The teams nodded their heads in understanding. Laxus and Lily departed to inform the authorities on what had happened while the rest of the group began the slow trudge back to the hotel, Kageyama in tow.

 


	35. The Mark

The entire team was exhausted by the time the train pulled back into Magnolia. Between briefing the authorities on what had destroyed the town, keeping their eyes on Kageyama the entire ride and two motion sick dragon slayers, no one really wanted to report back to the guild to brief the Master about what had happened.

Unfortunately, they all knew that this task was the last thing between them and sleep, so they all trudged the mile from the train station up to the guildhall and all but collapsed at one of the first tables they saw.

Mira walked up to them right away with concern in her eyes. "Oh my! What happened to all of you?"

Levy saw Laxus give her a warm smile, something somewhat out of place for the hulking lightning slayer before he said, "More like what didn't happen. I'll fill you in on it all later. Is the old man here by chance?"

Mira looked hesitantly at the entire group, then at a still sulking Kageyama. She nodded her head, "I'll let him know that you're here."

"Thanks, Mira," Laxus sighed before turning to Bickslow. In a low voice he asked, "Has he tried anything yet?"

Bickslow shook his head. "Not a thing. I was a little surprised that I didn't have to restrain him at all. I thought for sure he would try and slip away. I dunno bossman. Something really seems to be eating him up. He's been lost in deep thought the entire trip back."

Laxus sighed. Dealing with a sulking shadow mage wasn't something he was really interested in doing at the moment. The lightning slayer took a step towards the man but Gajeel placed a hand on his shoulder to halt his movements. "If it's alright with you, I'd like to have some time to talk with him alone. Before we meet with the Master."

Laxus nodded his head in agreement. He sort of figured that the two would need some time to hash things out. He definitely had his own questions for the iron slayer when all this was done, but for the time being, he would give Gajeel the space he needed. If anyone could get the shadow mage to come around, he had a feeling it would be Gajeel.

"Thanks," the iron slayer said gruffly, before approaching Kageyama. "Hey."

"Hey yourself," the dark-haired mage responded stiffly.

Levy watched as Gajeel ground his teeth, trying to hold back his temper. Despite how often he chided Natsu for his impulsive tendencies, she knew the iron slayer could be just as quick to anger at times and this conversation was sure to be a challenge.

"We need to talk," Gajeel managed to say through gritted teeth. Before Kageyama could mouth off, Gajeel continued, "and you don't have much of a choice so move your ass!"

The shadow mage huffed but got up out of his seat to follow Gajeel to his favorite back corner. The two sat down at the table. Kageyama leaned back against the wall, looking out over the bustling guildhall. He heaved a heavy sigh—his guildhall once used to be like this. While he knew now he couldn't count the people that filled its tables friends, at the time he thought they were. It was strange for him to suddenly feel the loss of something he didn't really have in the first place.

"I'm not really good with talking, so let's just try and make this quick," Gajeel grunted at him.

"Works for me," the man replied.

"What the hell happened back there? I know I told the authorities that you were attacked but, I'm not entirely sure that's the whole truth. Wanna shed some light?" Gajeel asked.

Kageyama sighed. He knew when he made the decision to stay with the team and head back to the Fairy Tail guildhall that he was going to face some pretty intense questioning. But his rage towards the guild and its members had inexplicably faded when he saw Alzena run off with Erigor. Watching her disappear with his old leader seemed to have sucked the life right out of him. It's why he'd decided not to just slip through the shadows and disappear himself. "It's complicated."

Gajeel huffed, bringing his fingers to his temples. "I get that. Just," he sighed. "Just tell me what you can. I want to be able to vouch for you with the master. I've known you from before and I wanna help."

Kageyama looked briefly at the iron slayer. Maybe he'd been wrong about him. Maybe he hadn't gone soft. Maybe he had just found what Kageyama thought he'd had all along. "The mayor was the one that got me out of prison early. Pretty sure she was working with Gran Doma to get it done," he began. Gajeel raised his eyebrows at that bit of information but Kageyama continued. He recounted his meetings with the mayor, the plan to set up Gran Doma and give him a chance at revenge at the same time and how they'd started seeing each other on the side.

"So how does Erigor fit into all this?" Gajeel asked, drinking the beer that Mira had brought over to him earlier.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Kageyama said, taking a sip of his own. "When things went to shit after Doma was arrested, I headed back to her place to ask her what the hell was going on. That's where I found Erigor."

"And he attacked you then?" Gajeel pushed him further. He needed to know the truth before he backed the guy to the master.

Kageyama groaned. "Yes and no. I was so angry at seeing him there with Alzena. So angry that she just stood there, refusing to pick sides. Everything from that moment until Bickslow woke me up is pretty blurry."

Gajeel nodded his head in understanding. "It's the shadows, man. They feed off of strong emotions. Anger and resentment are some of the strongest. They can," Gajeel paused for a second, "take over if you're not careful around them."

Kageyama winced. He knew the man was right and he was angry at himself for letting his magic run rampant like that. He could have easily hurt Alzena had she been caught in the crossfire and he wouldn't have been able to stop himself. He vowed to himself that he would never let something like that happen again.

"Look man," Gajeel turned towards him, looking him straight in the eyes. "I'm not the old man, so I can't officially offer you a place here. And I know that you've got issues with some of the members here." Gajeel turned to look at Natsu who was currently being lectured by Erza about manners. "Just know that whatever you think your issues were, I had them ten times worse. But I got over my shit and you can too. I'm sure if I vouched for you, you'd be able to find work here," he hesitated. "And maybe more," he said, his eyes landing on Levy.

Kageyama put his head down, rubbing his forehead roughly with his palms. "I dunno man. I'm all messed up inside. I just keep thinking about Alzena. What the hell happened to her, you know?"

Gajeel shook his head, unable to answer the man's question. He lifted his gaze at the sound of approaching bootsteps to see Laxus headed towards their table. "You guys good?" Laxus asked, looking between the two mages.

Gajeel looked across the table. "Yeah," he said gruffly. "Come on, Kage, let's get this over with." The two men rose to follow Laxus upstairs to the Master's office. Gajeel and Kageyama walked in first and each took a seat in front of the desk before Laxus closed the door, shutting all four of them inside.

Makarov was the first to speak, hopping up to sit cross-legged on the edge of his desk. "I'll be the first to admit that no man in this room has a completely innocent past, my boy. So you can speak openly and honestly. Nothing said in this room leaves this room."

The master listened intently as the three men each relayed their version of the past day's events. Kageyama was honest with the man when he admitted that he lost control of himself to the shadows' influence and didn't have the greatest recollection of what happened with Erigor. "I spoke briefly with Levy and Evergreen earlier," the master chimed in. "They said that they both felt magic power in the mayor before she disappeared with Erigor. Did you know that she might have been a mage herself?" he directed his question to Kageyama.

The man shook his head. "As far as I could ever tell when I was with her, there was no trace of magic power within her. I have no idea what happened." The man leaned forward, placing his head in his hands, trying to fight back threatening tears. "But I have to find her."

Laxus, the master and Gajeel all shared concerned looks. "I'm sure she'll turn up eventually," Laxus said, trying his best to ease the man's worries.

Kageyama lifted his head to look at the lightning slayer. "If you loved someone and they disappeared like that, wouldn't you go after them?" Laxus looked extremely uncomfortable at the question, decidedly looking down at the floor rather than answer the man's inquiry.

The master noticed his grandson's discomfort and decided to step in. "I can't bring this woman back to you, my boy but what I can offer you is the support of a family that will help you if you decide to go after her."

"What are you saying?" Kageyama said, raising his head to look at the master.

The master reached behind him to grab the fairy tail stamp out of his desk drawer. "I am offering you the chance to join my guild."

Kageyama looked between the three men in the room. "But, you barely know me. And I've tried to hurt your members, _twice_ now!" he said in disbelief.

The master hummed lowly in thought. "Yes. And as I said to both the men currently standing before you, that is something that can never be forgotten but," he looked into the young man's eyes, seeing a true glimmer of hope that confirmed his intentions. "It is something that can be forgiven. I've always believed in second chances."

"I don't know what to say," Kageyama said quietly.

"Say you'll join, you ass clown!" Gajeel said loudly, breaking the mood of the room.

Laxus chuckled. "Yeah. Become a fucking fairy already."

Kageyama looked between the three in the room before finally looking at the master. "I've got to go after her."

The master nodded. "I understand that and I won't stop you. All that I would ask is that you take a small amount of time to get your magic back under control. As a member of our guild, I can't in good conscious allow you to go on a mission when your magic is out of sorts."

Kageyama nodded in understanding. He saw the logic in the old man's words and, if he were being honest with himself, he knew he needed some time to get stronger before he faced Erigor again. "Besides," Gajeel said, clapping him on the shoulder. "It'd be pretty nice for me to have someone to help train my shadow abilities. Not really something I've been able to work on with the other members of the guild. I'm sure you understand."

The shadow mage nodded in agreement. He looked back at the master and then at Laxus and Gajeel. Each of their faces told him that they were all serious about him joining; that this wasn't just some cruel trick to get a laugh. He sighed. "Okay, I'm in." The two slayers smiled and clapped him on the back before the master pressed the stamp to the back of his right shoulder.

As Kageyama lowered his shirt back down, Gajeel just grinned at him. "Welcome to the guild, you fuckin' fairy."

. . .

Laxus hung back as Gajeel and Kageyama exited the Master's office together. He gave his grandfather a knowing look, "Well," he said raising his eyebrow.

His grandfather sighed. "I trust the boy that he didn't know about the Mayor's magic. He was honest about everything else and he had no reason to lie about something like that."

Laxus nodded his head in agreement. "I didn't even know magic could be suppressed in someone."

"It's very old magic. Something I'm definitely going to look into. For the time being, though, I'd like to get eyes on this woman and her paramour. You think you're up for it?"

Laxus grinned slightly. "Yeah. No way I'm gonna let that punk Erigor get away with running from our battle. I'll let the rest of the team know we're gonna head out soon."

Makarov shook his head solemnly. "As difficult as it may be, I'd rather you not take the Thunder Legion." Laxus raised his eyebrows in surprise. "They draw too much attention. I'd like to keep this away from seeking eyes. With Gran Doma being arrested, the Council is likely to be in a power struggle. The idea that this woman could have had something to do with it could draw us in to that. I'd rather not bring attention to the role we may have played by making it obvious we're out searching for her."

"So you want me to go alone then?" Laxus didn't think his grandfather would want him working something potentially dangerous without any sort of backup.

The old man shook his head. "Definitely not. I'd prefer it if you brought someone with you. Someone you don't usually work with; preferably a woman who might be able to talk with the mayor when you find her."

The glint in his grandfather's eye was so brief that Laxus missed it. He sighed and leaned his head back, rubbing his temples. "That's a pretty tall order, old man."

Makarov hopped off the desk and opened the door for his grandson, "I'm sure you'll figure it out, my boy. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some calls I need to make."

Laxus rolled his eyes but stood and exited the room nonetheless. Staying up on the second floor he looked out over the guildhall. _"Who the heck am I going to convince to come with me on a potentially dangerous job,"_ the lightning slayer huffed to himself. He'd have brought Evergreen in a heartbeat if it weren't for the fact that his grandfather specifically said no one from his team.

Looking below he spotted Erza eating a piece of strawberry cake at the bar. _"Erza is too damn noticeable with her armor and attitude,"_ he sighed. He moved his vision over to the request board where Lucy was standing with Natsu. _"The celestial mage is a no. There's no way her idiot friends wouldn't follow if I brought her along."_ His vision moved back to the bar where he saw Cana sitting atop chatting with Elfman, chugging a bottle of wine. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, _"I really don't feel like dealing with Cana on withdrawal."_

Mira walked into his view, leaning on the bar to say a few words to her brother. Mira would be perfect. Formally, she was still just an employee of the guild, yet she was a powerhouse in her own right. He was confident she would be strong enough to handle any danger that came their way yet at the same time, she wouldn't draw unnecessary attention to their mission.

His relationship with Mira had been anything but easy since their meeting in the storeroom. He wanted her—that part was easy. But he didn't want to push her. He didn't know what prompted her and Cana to approach him like that that day and it hadn't happened since. Not that he'd even had time to talk to her about it. His team had taken a lengthy job just a few days after their rendezvous and this was his first time back to the guild.

He scrunched his brow in concern, _"Fuck. I hope she doesn't think I was avoiding her,"_ he realized. He felt so out of his element. Mira had been the only woman he'd truly ever had a thing for and then he'd gone and fucked the whole thing up with his bratty attitude when he was younger. _"But still,"_ he reasoned with himself, _"if she was willing to do what she did with me and Cana, maybe there's still some hope."_

He sighed. He hated when he got all pansy-assed like this. He steeled his resolve and marched himself downstairs to the bar. Enough of being a pussy—he was going to ask her if she'd help him on this mission and whatever her response, he'd take it like a man.

. . .

Levy sat heavily into a seat at one of the center tables. Luckily she'd been able to take a nap on the train ride back so she wasn't as exhausted as some of the others who had been on the mission but she still felt pretty worn out.

Lucy slid into the seat next to her, giving her a friendly bump to get her attention. The bluenette lifted her head and smiled as she saw her friend. "Hey, Lu!" she said cheerfully. "How've you been these last few days?"

"Pretty good." Her friend blushed a little and Levy cocked her head to the side. She hadn't had the time she wanted to catch up with her friend and she certainly had a lot of questions to ask her, specifically about a pink-haired troublemaker. "But enough about me, how are things with you? I heard about your job. It sounded crazy!"

"Yeah," Levy said, stretching her arms over her head, "it was a pretty eventful couple of days."

Levy looked at her friend to respond but was surprised to find her staring intently at her left shoulder. "Lu?" she said, trying to get her friend's attention. "LUCY!"

The blonde finally looked up at her. "How long have you had that tattoo?" she asked, pointing at her shoulder.

"What?" Levy said, trying to reach around to feel the spot Lucy was pointing at. "What tattoo? What are you talking about?"

"Here, hold still," Lucy directed. Levy complied and her friend snapped a photo with her lacrimaphone. Holding it up to the bluenette, Levy gasped. A black kanji she'd never seen before appeared in the center of her white and orange guild mark.

"I have no idea what that is!" she exclaimed, looking at Lucy with concerned eyes. Lucy scanned the room, spotting Freed a few tables away. "Come on!" she said, grabbing Levy's hand and hoisting her out of her seat. "Maybe Freed will know something."

Lucy ran over to the emerald-haired mage, Levy trying her best not to trip from being pulled behind her. "Freed!" Lucy said, waving at him with her cheerful smile.

The man looked up and smiled at the two approaching women. "What can I do for you Miss Heartfilia, Miss McGarden?"

"What can you tell me about _this_?" Lucy asked, twirling Levy around on the spot so that Freed could see her shoulder.

The mage put the book he was reading down to inspect Levy's shoulder closer. "Curious. I've never seen such a thing before." Levy turned back around to face him. "As far as I knew, nothing could appear _on top_ of a guildmark. It's a magical mark that seals the mage to its guild. It cannot be washed away or tattooed over. This is very interesting indeed," he mused to himself.

At just that moment, Gajeel came bounding down the steps, Kageyama a few feet in front of him. He clapped the man on the shoulder, saying something about seeing him later and headed over to where the three were standing.

As Gajeel approached, he noticed something on Levy's shoulder that hadn't been there before. Walking closer to get a better look, he finally saw it clearly. His eyes widened involuntarily as he took in the sight. Lucy turned around to address him and Levy did too. "Oh! Gajeel! We were all just—" but the blonde didn't get to finish her sentence.

"Levy and I are going home," Gajeel said, grinning wildly at Levy.

 


	36. The Mate

"Gajeel, is everything alright?" Levy asked, giving him a worried look. She'd never seen the iron slayer smile quite so much in her life and it was weirding her out.

"Peachy," he replied, grabbing her hand and pulling her beside him and out the guildhall doors. All the bluenette could manage to do was waive goodbye to Lucy and Freed as she was pulled alongside her man.

"Gajeel! Slow down!" she huffed, trying to keep up with his long strides.

"Can't," he responded flatly, keeping his quick pace. He stopped abruptly so that the girl almost ran right into him. He turned to look at her with a smirk, "Want me to carry you? For old time's sake?"

"What?!" Levy exclaimed. "No!" But Gajeel had other ideas and within seconds, she was being hoisted up on his shoulder, carried at lightning speed back to their apartment. Bounding up the stairs, he all but ripped the door off its hinges in his haste to get through the door before finally dumping Levy onto the couch.

"Oomf!" She landed with a thud and within seconds Gajeel was on her, pressing his body into hers and moving his lips against her skin. "Gajeel! What's gotten into you?" she exclaimed, feeling herself warming at his touch.

"I can't help it, Blue. Seeing that mark on your shoulder. You're lucky we even made it home," he said through heavy breaths.

"What are you talking about?" Levy asked, pushing against his shoulders to get him to slow down.

"That symbol, on your shoulder," he said and Levy nodded her head. "You don't know?" he asked, sitting back on his heels.

The bluenette shook her head. "I didn't even know it was there until Lucy pointed it out. It's kinda hard to see the back of your shoulder on a regular basis," she giggled to herself.

Gajeel gave her a loving look before gently grasping her hands and pulling her into a sitting position. "Levy, that's _my_ mark."

The girl gasped. "Your mark? What do you mean?"

"It's the draconic symbol for my name," he explained, not being able to help the grin that was spreading across his face once more.

"How can you be sure?" Levy breathed, touching the back of her shoulder with her opposite hand.

Gajeel chuckled. "Metalicana was a selfish bastard. All dragons are really. Anything that was mine he'd write that symbol on it and he'd write his symbol on his crap. When I'd ask him what it meant, he told me they were the symbols for our names in his language."

"Oh, wow!" Levy breathed. "Does this mean…?" she trailed off.

Gajeel shrugged his shoulders before leaning over her once again. "I dunno," he said before leaning down to suck the skin of her neck. "But do you understand why I can't wait any longer to take you again." Her breath hitched as he grabbed her earlobe with his teeth. "Seeing that mark on you like that," he sighed nibbling at her neck, "it's driving me crazy."

Levy felt completely overwhelmed. Between learning that the mark on her back was actually from Gajeel to what the man was currently doing to her neck, she felt completely swept up by it all. Gajeel could sense he was losing her to her inner ramblings and he whispered "Stay with me, Blue," in a hot breath against her ear.

Levy giggled at the feel of his lips against her ear before she finally let herself go, smashing her lips against his while threading her hands into his wild locks. She moaned his name when he began using his teeth to untie the bow of her dress.

Her breasts bounced free as the iron slayer sat back and pulled the material all the way off her body along with her arm cuffs. She giggled as he pinched her sides to turn her over onto her stomach but her laughs soon turned into labored moans as he dragged first his fingers and then his teeth over his mark on her shoulder. Words were soon forgotten as Gajeel's tongue explored the back of her shoulder and then up to the nape of her neck. She flailed slightly, being slightly ticklish when his mouth ghosted down her sides but Gajeel caught her wrists with one hand and held them firmly over her head.

He growled in her ear as she playfully struggled against him, causing heat to dampen her panties. The man kept a firm grip on her as he moved his hands and mouth across her body, latching onto her skin every couple of inches to suck harshly, leaving evidence of their tryst. Finally letting go of her wrists, he moved down her body sliding her off the couch before walking her to the edge. Levy looked at him with a raised eyebrow. She was sporting nothing but a pair of flimsy panties right now while he was still fully clothed.

Gajeel gestured to the couch's armrest. "Bend over," he said in a low husk. Levy couldn't help the heat that immediately pooled between her thighs, but she was feeling frisky.

She looked at him with a confident smirk. "Not before you lose at least the shirt," she said coyly.

Gajeel approached her slowly, as if he were approaching prey. "You really think it's a good idea to order me around right now?" he said with a playful grin. Levy gasped as he grabbed her around the waist, holding her firmly against his hulking frame before spinning her around and pushing her over the couch.

She laughed as she tried to lift herself up but a firm hand on the back of her neck kept her bent over the sofa. "Be a good girl, huh?" Gajeel growled. Levy hated admitting she had this kink but she just loved it when he got a little rough with her. Nothing too crazy, but just enough to make it feel edgy always got her there.

Gajeel trailed his fingers down from where they had previously been on her back before meeting her panty line. He snapped the material against her skin, causing her to gasp and look over her shoulder at him. Gajeel caught her eye, giving her a wink before he kneeled down behind her. Pulling her panties down he let them pool around her ankles. He moved his mouth over her backside, ghosting his lips over the smooth skin there.

"First thing I noticed about you blue," he said and Levy groaned, "was your beautiful ass." She gasped as he nibbled her skin lightly, sending shivers through her entire body. She could feel the wetness between her thighs starting to run down her leg slightly as if her core was literally crying for her man's attention.

Gajeel loved torturing the girl until she was basically begging for his attention and he planned to do just that. He heard her whimper and chuckled, continuing to bite and suck at her rear gently. He allowed his fingers to finally trail up the inside of her thigh. About half way up he felt her dripping arousal and he smirked, "Looks like someone's anxious to get started."

Levy would have rolled her eyes but she was too preoccupied with what Gajeel was currently doing with his fingers. She could barely feel his touch against her skin it was so light. He started moving his fingertips closer and closer to her center. She tried to shift her body to move his fingers to her core but he would just laugh and move further away every time she tried.

"I can't wait any longer," Gajeel said, as if to himself before plunging his mouth to her center without warning. Levy gasped at the incredible sensations he was giving her. His strong tongue caressed her lips as he occasionally sucked them into his mouth. He put his thumb to work circling her most sensitive spot as his tongue moved to her entrance. Levy felt the coil inside her starting to wind tighter and tighter with each of his movements. Gajeel could feel it too—her muscles tensing against each touch—and he knew she would break soon.

He quickened his movements and smirked as her breathing began to hitch. He knew she was close and he desperately needed to get her there. "Gajeel!" she moaned in response to his movements.

He lifted his head just long enough to respond. "I want you to cum all over my tongue, Blue."

His words were so unexpectedly dirty. Levy couldn't help but respond and she crested. His name was on her lips as her muscles pulled upward. Heat flowed through her body and she collapsed against the sofa, grateful it was there as the release pulsed its way through her body.

Within second, Gajeel was shedding his clothing and stroking his member. Looking at his beautiful mate, bearing his mark, satiated from his touch, bent over the couch like she was, was just too much for him. "I'm gonna fuck you, Levy," he breathed, lining himself up. As he thrust his cock into her wet center, he couldn't help but roar, "You're mine!"

Levy moaned as she felt him enter her. His movements were fast and forceful but in her hazy state all they did was draw out the waves of pleasure she was currently riding. She groaned when she felt his heat leave her and gasped when she felt herself being hoisted into the air. Gajeel had turned her over and was currently carrying her into the bedroom. He kicked the door open and laid her down on the bed gently.

Climbing back on their eyes met and he whispered, "I needed to see you. God, Levy, you're so beautiful."

Levy smiled as she looked into his eyes. Those crimson eyes, which she once feared, she now looked into with absolute adoration. Over such a short time period, they had weathered so much together and she wouldn't have had it any other way. She gasped as she felt his length fill her, stopping her from thinking any further. Gajeel pounded into her with a relentless pace, driving himself towards completion.

His body strained with exertion and she could feel his sweat under her fingers as it glistened across his hardened muscles. With a low growl, Gajeel poured everything he had into her, panting out his release before he rolled off her, pulling her close to him as he did.

Levy snuggled in closer to him, happy to just listen to the sound of his heartbeat slow as he came down from his high. Gajeel kissed the top of her head affectionately. "You're amazing, you know that Blue?" he said against her hair.

Levy nuzzled into him further. "Meh," she said lightheartedly against his skin.

"I'm serious," Gajeel continued. "And you're mine now, so I don't want to hear you say anything else."

"Yours am I?" Levy lifted up to look into the dragon slayer's eyes with a teasing smile.

"Play games all you want but I know that mark wouldn't have shown up on your shoulder if you didn't feel the same way. The magic doesn't work that way," Gajeel responded, trying not to give in to her teasing.

Levy rested her head on Gajeel's chest and let out a contented sigh. "Thanks."

Gajeel furrowed his brow. "Huh?"

"For rescuing me," she replied.

"I think you've got that backwards," the slayer said, placing his hands under his head.

Levy shook her head. "I know who I was before we got together and I know who I am now. So thanks."

Gajeel laid there, completely stunned. He didn't know what he had done right to deserve the woman currently laying across his chest. Thinking back to his Phantom days, he couldn't even have imagined how his life would have completely changed.

The two laid there, completely wrapped up in one another, and neither even needed to hear the other say they loved one another, because they just knew.

As Levy rolled over, propping her chin upon her dragon slayer's chest, her brown eyes sparkled as she looked into his crimson. "So what do you want to do now?"

Gajeel grinned and let out his signature laugh, "I saw we go again."

Levy laughed but couldn't help saying, "Stupid Gajeel!"

 


	37. Epilogue

"Allow me to introduce," the announcer said smoothly into the microphone, "the author of 'Iris's Adventure,' Miss Lucy Heartfilia." The crowd cheered as the blonde made her way in her snug tight red dress to the front of the stage, blushing furiously.

I was so happy for my friend. Her dream had come true and she had finally published her novel. It had been so well received and she had invited the entire Guild to this ceremony.

I looked around. Everyone was enjoying the celebration in their own, unique way. "Aw yeah! This meat's the best!" Natsu said loudly, shoving far too much chicken into his mouth.

"Natsu, you've had enough," Wendy tried to say to him, somewhat embarrassed by being even near her guildmate.

Happy was up on the table with Natsu, shoving an equally large amount of salmon into his mouth. "The fish is good too, y'know!"

Carla scoffed, "That's a bit dirty of you happy." I rolled my eyes. Things didn't ever seem to change.

I looked back towards my iron slayer. We had been together for some time now and everything was going so smoothly. His mark on my shoulder had deepened with every passing day and every time he saw it, he couldn't help but take me. I loved it.

"High-quality iron is something else. I tell ya!" the man of my dreams said, munching on the servingware.

"That's not for eating, silly," I sighed. While Gajeel's manners weren't as bad as Natsu's, I had somewhat gotten over his rough edges over the past year.

"That's not even iron, genius," Lily smirked at him from a little ways a way.

I was happy to see that Jet and Droy had moved on from their obsession with me once it was clear Gajeel and I were a thing. "Our Lucy won the best new author award!" they sang in unison, more than a little drunk. However, I cringed internally when I realized that they had really just shifted their obsession to my blonde friend.

"Ugh! I said I'd invite you, but only if you all behaved yourselves, didn't I?" Lucy's voice chiding Natsu raised over the crowd.

"Too bad!" the pink haired man said raising his hands over his head, clearly oblivious to Lucy's feelings.

"I thought they said to wear formal clothes, buster," Gray came into the scene to chide Natsu's classic outfit.

"Yeah? Then put some damn clothes on, you idiot!" Natsu responded, noting that Gray was standing in just his boxers.

"What the fuck did you just call me?" Gray said, bashing his head against Natsu's.

"Wanna go?" the fireslayer was quick to respond in kind.

All of the sudden, Erza's leg came flying out of nowhere, kicking both men to the floor. "You will stop fighting immediately!" she said in her authoritative voice. "This is a joyous occasion!"

"Geez," I heard Lucy sigh and I giggled. I'm not entirely sure what she expected.

I turned, looking for my iron slayer, seeing him standing next to Natsu and Miss Anna. "Gajeel! Over here," I called out his name and he turned. It still took my breath away that the burly dragonslayer was really mine. If you had told me that we'd end up together even just a year ago, I wouldn't have believed you. And now—well now I had even more news to tell him.

He pulled me into his thick arms as I came running up to him. I breathed in his metallic scent and it instantly calmed me. I pulled on his jacket and he leaned down so I could whisper in his ear. "Let's get out of here, okay?"

He smiled and allowed me to lead him to the exit. As we stepped out into the cool air, I stretched my arms over my head, letting my head look up at the stars. It was such a beautiful, clear fall night. Things couldn't be more perfect.

"Why you wanna leave so soon?" Gajeel gruffed in his usual voice as we walked the few blocks to our shared apartment.

I could feel my heart flutter slightly with nerves. I tried to calm my breathing—he was a dragon slayer and was always able to tell when I was nervous. "Oh you know," I tried to keep my voice steady. "Things always get crazy when alcohol and our Guild are involved."

"I didn't see you drinking," he cocked his head towards me. I simply nodded in agreement, not trusting myself to say anything further.

We finally reached the threshold of our apartment and I followed him up the stairs softly. I'd been trying to figure out the perfect time to tell him but now I felt like I couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Blue," he said with slight concern in his eyes. "I can tell you're nervous. What's gotcha like this?" he asked, kicking his shoes off before sprawling himself out on the couch.

I leaned down to untie my sandals before joining him on the sofa. I climbed on top of him and he rested his hands on my hips as I straddled his muscular form. "So you know how we decided to go without protection this last month?"

He gave me a crooked grin and ground his core against mine. "Is that what this is about? You need another round from Black Steel?"

I giggled at his audacity. Gajeel was never one to be shy about when he wanted sex and he never left me wanting if I needed something. "Actually," I said, pushing on his chest to bring my face closer to his. I pressed my lips against his for a chaste kiss, pulling away before he tried to drink me in deeper. "I wanted to tell you that I'm pregnant." The words slipped out of my mouth before I could even think about how I wanted to say them. I winced internally a bit, waiting for his reaction.

The man looked at me with those piercing red eyes. "Oh my god, Levy," he said as a smile spread across his features. "Are you serious?" I nodded my head vehemently, biting me lower lip. "You beautiful, gorgeous woman!"

Within an instant he was lifting me up and he was on his feet. I looked into his gaze and was filled with feelings of pure love and joy. He pressed his lips against mine and I allowed him to pull me in deeper this time. Spending the rest of my life with Gajeel wasn't going to be easy, but then, I wouldn't have it any other way.


End file.
